As the Baltimore Ravens began practice for their Week 5 game against the Atlanta Falcons, all eyes were on Lamar Jackson. Since the quarterback left the locker room on Sunday in a walking boot, fans have been waiting for a new update. Things turned more worrisome when Jackson sat out Wednesday’s practice entirely. Yet, head coach Jesse Minter remains positive about the situation.
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“It’s Wednesday. There’s a lot of time between now and Sunday,” Minter told the reporters ahead of Week 5. “To Lamar’s credit, he’s getting a lot of treatment and doing things. There’ll be a point later in the week where we’ll kinda figure out where it’s at… When he’s ready to play, he’ll be ready to play.”
The two-time NFL MVP looked untouchable in the first half of the Week 4 matchup against the Tennessee Titans. He completed 15 of 20 passes for 222 yards and two touchdowns. Then a sack on the second-to-last play before halftime changed the afternoon as Jackson was injured on that last offensive snap.
Baltimore felt his absence right away. Though Tyler Huntley managed 8-of-9 completions for 63 yards, the offense failed to score. The defense held on for a 24-18 win, lifting the team to 3-1.
On Monday, the quarterback went for an MRI. While some sources claim that the QB could miss multiple games with the ankle sprain, Minter’s statement matched his tone from Wednesday.
“I don’t think it’s going to be crazy long-term,” Minter told Jamison Hensley of ESPN.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter then reported that Jackson still has a “realistic” chance to face Atlanta on Sunday night. The stakes explain the caution.
Jackson has completed 70.8% of his passes this season, a career-high pace, for 967 yards, six touchdowns and one interception. He has added 144 rushing yards and 1 rushing touchdown on 19 carries.
The head coach isn’t ready to rule out the star quarterback, even if he sits out the entire week of practice. After the dominance Jackson has established in the league, Minter is confident that he can “play without a week of practice.”
Until then, backup quarterback Huntley, whom Jackson spent the Sunday afternoon coaching, is set to start Week 5.
What changes if Tyler Huntley starts
Even though the offense collapsed in the second half against the Titans, HC Minter believes the scheme can survive a quarterback switch. On Wednesday, he said the offense “does not have to change a whole lot” with Huntley taking the snaps.
The HC signed off on the under-center plays and the run game as areas the young quarterback can handle. Minter is putting his faith in Huntley to spread the ball across Baltimore’s skilled players.
The backup is no stranger in Baltimore. The Ravens signed Huntley as an undrafted free agent in 2020, and he has made most of his NFL starts for them.
In five appearances last season, Huntley completed 77.6% of his passes for 426 yards, two touchdowns, and no interceptions.
However, the bigger picture is less flattering. The Ravens are 5-6 all-time with Huntley as their starter. The system may hold together without Jackson, but the ceiling does not.
That’s why Minter is keeping the door open for Jackson. A Wednesday absence does not end Jackson’s week, but it does shrink his window to two practices.
For any hope that Lamar Jackson would play on Sunday, he needs to practice in some capacity by Friday. Any work on Thursday would probably move him from long shot to a legitimate one. Friday’s injury report designation will then give the clearest answer yet.