OWINGS MILLS, Md. — Ravens offensive line coach Joe D’Alessandris has been hospitalized with “an acute illness,” according to the team, and will be away from the team for the foreseeable future.
“He had a surgery earlier in the summer, and … some complications have arisen from it,” head coach John Harbaugh said. “He’s in the hospital now, and he’ll be focusing on his health for the next significant period of time.
“It’s a blow, because he’s a great football coach,” Harbaugh added. “He’s beloved by the players, by the coaches. He’s a top game-planner, a top coach. He’s a huge part of our offense, and he’s going to be missed very much, but we’re going to be much more concerned about his health.”
With D’Alessandris out, the Ravens have hired longtime NFL assistant George Warhop as interim offensive line coach. He will work with Travelle Wharton, who is in his first season as the Ravens’ assistant offensive line coach.
Warhop has more than 25 years of NFL experience as an offensive line coach, most recently with the Houston Texans in 2022.
Warhop also had worked as an offensive line coach for seven other NFL teams dating to 1996, including the Tampa Bay Buccaneers; he worked alongside current Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken with the Bucs from 2016-2018.
D’Alessandris, 70, has been extremely popular with players and others in the organization. He’s a coaching “lifer” who has worked as the Ravens’ offensive line coach since 2017 and has spent more than 40 years as a football coach, including the last 17 in the NFL.
The turnover among the offensive line staff comes as the Ravens are trying to sort out a starting unit. The Ravens began training camp needing to replace three of five starters, and one of the two holdovers, Pro Bowl center Tyler Linderbaum, has missed practice for the past week with a soft-tissue injury.
Andrew Vorhees, in his first healthy season, appears to be the front-runner to start at left guard, and the Ravens are giving Daniel Faalele every chance to win the job at right guard. Rookie second-round pick Roger Rosengarten is getting a long look at right tackle, though super-sub Patrick Mekari is an option there, as well as at center.
The next test for the offensive line will come this coming Saturday, Aug. 17, when they host the Atlanta Falcons at noon at M&T Bank Stadium.
Harbaugh recognized the unusual circumstance of having to replace his offensive line coach in the middle of training camp, saying, “It’s an interesting dilemma for sure. It’s definitely not something I’ve ever been associated with. I would just say, by the grace of God, George Warhop is available.”
Harbaugh noted that he had played against Warhop in college when they were at Miami of Ohio and Cincinnati, respectively.
“I remember George very well as a player,” Harbaugh said with a smile. “He does not remember me.”
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