Ravens QB Lamar Jackson expected back Week 9

Way back after Week 6 as the Ravens’ four-game losing streak brought them to 1-5, many assumed that Jackson (and several other injured Ravens) would be coming back after the team’s Week 7 bye. That proved mostly true, as Jackson’s “questionable” designation on the injury report was the only injury designation for any Baltimore player. But even that injury designation wasn’t exactly what it seemed.

The team had listed Jackson as a full participant at practice on Friday after planning a day of scout team reps for the mobile passer and seeing him complete the day with no issues. NFL regulations concerning injury reporting don’t allow this, though. If injury causes a player that would normally be getting starting reps to practice with the scout team, they have to be listed as a limited participant at practice. After notice from the league, Baltimore was forced to retroactively change Jackson’s practice participation, and the team announced that he would not play in Week 8’s game.

Was Baltimore Ravens' Lamar Jackson move an honest mistake?

Perhaps, this was an honest mistake, as head coach John Harbaugh reiterated in comments to the media after Sunday's game, per Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic. Perhaps, it was a desperate attempt from a one-win team hoping to get any advantage possible by muddying the waters and keeping Chicago from knowing which quarterback they would be facing. After expressing hopes for two weeks that Jackson would return following their bye, it could certainly have been the latter, but that’s a matter for the NFL’s management council to determine.

Regardless, what makes this proclamation different from the ones for Week 8? According to Glazer, while Jackson may have been able to suit up for this weekend’s game, the Ravens were looking at a different benchmark. Because this weekend’s game will be so closely followed with an appearance on "Thursday Night Football," Jackson needed to be at a place in which he would be fully confident playing two games in a five-day stretch. It was in the opinion of those involved that there was too high a risk of re-injury for him to play both games, so he was ruled out for Week 8 with an expectation to play back in his old digs in South Florida in Week 9.

With a short week providing fewer practices in which the team can gauge where Jackson is at, it will continue to be difficult to predict Jackson’s availability. Harbaugh certainly gave nothing away in Sunday's post-game press conference, merely telling reporters that “he’s hopeful that Lamar will play Thursday.”

The Ravens were able to pull off a win Sunday with new backup quarterback Tyler Huntley. In his return to Baltimore, Huntley avoided turnovers, and the offense put up more points today (30) than they had in two games with Cooper Rush under center (13). This moves the team to 2-5 as they take the first of several steps necessary to make an improbable return to the playoffs. If Jackson can return in Miami Gardens, their chances for taking the next step will increase greatly.