The Ravens signed Melvin Gordon III from the practice squad to the 53-man roster to join the running back rotation.
Keaton Mitchell, who suffered a season-ending knee injury in Sunday's 23-7 win over the Jaguars, was placed on injured reserve Tuesday.
Gordon was on the practice squad all season and was promoted to three games, rushing for 53 yards on 13 carries. His last game action was in Week 4 against the Browns, when he carried three times for 22 yards and caught one pass for 23 yards. Gordon will add depth to the running back rotation behind Gus Edwards and Justice Hill.
Gordon, 30, is in his ninth NFL season and rushed for a career-high 1,105 yards with the Chargers in 2017. He led the Broncos in rushing in both 2020 (986 yards) and 2021 (918 yards). With 312 balls in his career, he is also a dangerous pass catcher from the backcourt.
“Melvin Gordon is a premier football player in this league,” head coach John Harbaugh said Monday. “It's almost shocking that we now have the opportunity to bring him into the mix and he's always wanted to be a part of it.
“He practiced so hard and worked so hard. Like he was saying, 'Hey. If the opportunity arises, I'm ready.'”
The Ravens also signed former Maryland running back Jake Funk to the practice squad. A prep star at Damascus High, Funk set a state record with 57 touchdowns in his senior season.
After rushing for 968 career yards at Maryland, Funk was selected in the seventh round by the Rams in 2021 and won a Super Bowl with them as a rookie who played primarily on special teams. Funk also played with the Colts and was released from Miami's practice squad on November 18.