Right now, the Ravens’ secondary looks like a mess. Maybe even the worst in the league outside of Dallas. So, when Baltimore brought in veteran safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson on the practice squad, the Ravens’ defense finally looked better (at least on paper). But head coach John Harbaugh just made a move that could seriously come back to bite him.
According to insider Thomas Petersen, the Ravens did not elevate Gardner-Johnson to the active roster. That means he’s still available to be signed to another team from the Ravens’ practice squad.
The Ravens did not elevate or sign CJ Gardner-Johnson to the active roster.
That means he’s still available to be signed to another team from the Ravens practice squad.#Eagles
— Thomas R. Petersen (@thomasrp93) October 11, 2025
Safe to say, if another team swoops in and signs him, it’s going to hurt the Ravens big time. Baltimore’s secondary has been getting carved up week after week, and a player like Gardner-Johnson could’ve made an immediate difference. He’s perhaps exactly the kind of presence that group’s been missing.
In his short stint with the Texans earlier this year, the 27-year-old played three games and notched 15 tackles and a quarterback hit before things went sideways. Reports say there were some clashes between him and the team, and Houston decided to move on. But the safety can play.
The former Saints fourth-round pick was a big part of New Orleans’ defense for three seasons before heading to Philly in 2022, the team that played in the Super Bowl. He was also part of the Eagles’ Super Bowl-winning team last year. And across 77 career games, Gardner-Johnson has piled up 319 tackles, 22 tackles for loss, 15 QB hits, 18 interceptions, two forced fumbles, a fumble recovery, and even a touchdown. That’s the kind of production Harbaugh’s team could really use right now.
Gardner-Johnson admitted he joined the Ravens mainly because no other team was calling. But now that he’s back in shape and available, what’s stopping him from jumping ship if someone offers a 53-man roster spot?
The timing couldn’t be worse either. The Ravens just waived rookie safety Reuben Lowery to make space for another roster move, further thinning an already patchwork safety rotation. And all of this chaos is happening while Lamar Jackson remains sidelined, forcing another roster move.
John Harbaugh makes a QB decision
Yep, Baltimore’s going into Week 6 without their star quarterback again. That means another start for Cooper Rush, who looked completely lost in that blowout loss to the Texans: 4-of-20 passing, three ugly interceptions, and a 10–44 final score that spoke for itself.
Maybe that performance is what pushed the Ravens to make another quarterback move. They’ve officially activated Tyler Huntley from the practice squad. He’ll slot in behind Rush as added insurance, or maybe even push for the No. 2 spot once Lamar is back healthy.
To be fair, Huntley could end up saving them. He’s already proven he can step in when needed. In 2024, with the Miami Dolphins, he played five games, completing nearly 65% of his passes for 829 yards, three touchdowns, and three picks, while rushing for 135 yards and two scores.
Plus, he’s been here before. Back in 2022, when Lamar went down, Huntley went 2–2 as the starter and helped the Ravens sneak into the playoffs. He even dropped a 41-yard touchdown dime to Demarcus Robinson against the Bengals that season. Now, it’s all about whether Cooper Rush can hang onto the job. If not, Huntley’s right there, waiting for his shot.
