Trace McSorley readies to face old favorite team with Ravens roster cut coming

OWINGS MILLS, Md. — Trace McSorley will start at quarterback for the Baltimore Ravens when they take on the Washington Redskins in their annual meeting in Week 4 of the preseason Thursday.

Not long ago, McSorley would have been pulling for the burgundy and gold, not the purple and gold, to win that matchup. The rookie grew up in Ashburn, Virginia, where the Redskins have their team headquarters and practice facility.

But with roster cutdown day fast approaching, McSorley has more on his mind than taking on the team he used to follow.

“It’s just a cool moment,” McSorley said. “Obviously I wasn’t real diehard as a fan or anything like that. Just followed the team because I was in the area. I was a fan of them, but I think it’s just another opportunity to go out and play in the NFL and play against an NFL-caliber team from that standpoint.”

The Ravens’ sixth-round pick last April from of Penn State finds himself in a unique situation as the preseason draws to a close. Former Redskin Robert Griffin III injured his thumb at a practice in July and hasn’t played in an exhibition game, which gave McSorley more reps under center.

But Griffin is expected to be healthy for the start of the regular season and will resume the No. 2 role behind starter Lamar Jackson. Baltimore must decide whether to carry a third quarterback on the 53-man roster, part ways with McSorley or cut him and attempt to sign him to the practice squad.

McSorley also has potential on special teams in the NFL, not unlike the New Orleans Saints’ quarterback Taysom Hill, who was somewhat of a utility player for them last year.

“Trace has definitely, definitely earned the right to be in our plans one way or another, and we’ll see how it shakes out,” Ravens coach John Harbaugh said. “It’s a decision that still has to be made. But I think he’s done everything he can do, for sure.”

A standout performance against his boyhood team would help his case.

McSorley recalled attending Washington’s open training camp practices in Ashburn as a boy, before camp was moved to Richmond. He also mingled with the likes of at least one legendary player — Sean Taylor.

“My mom was a real estate agent and he was one of her clients,” McSorley said. “Just over time, it ended up that I ran into him a few places just tagging along with her.”

McSorley also counts former Redskins linebacker Eddie Mason as a football adviser.

“Eddie Mason was a guy that to this day I stay in contact with. He’s just been a sounding board and mentor for me,” McSorley said. “Definitely did have some cool moments growing up.”

Maybe those memories will come flooding back when McSorley leads the Ravens into FedEx Field Thursday for a technically meaningless preseason game. But he said he isn’t focused on “it being the hometown team” on the other sideline.

McSorley will face off against another rookie quarterback, first-round pick Dwayne Haskins, who will start Thursday for Washington.