The Baltimore Ravens will face the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday in Week 7 of the NFL season as they look to recover from last week’s defeat to the Cleveland Browns.
Lamar Jackson ruled out vs Bengals
However, Baltimore will once again be without star quarterback Lamar Jackson, who has been ruled out of the matchup because of an ankle injury.
"QB Lamar Jackson (ankle) has been downgraded to “out” for tomorrow’s game vs. Cincinnati," the team announced on Saturday,
The Ravens split their last two games against the Atlanta Falcons and Cleveland Browns without Jackson.
{{/usCountry}}The Ravens split their last two games against the Atlanta Falcons and Cleveland Browns without Jackson.
{{/usCountry}}Although the quarterback participated in limited practice sessions this week, the team confirmed on Saturday that he would not be available against Cincinnati.
Ravens cautious about Jackson’s recovery
"He's been able to get some work in these past couple of days," Ravens coach Jesse Minter confirmed on Friday.
"Between Lamar and our staff, it's going to be a decision based on him and how he feels and how effective it could be. He's had a good couple of days, but we'll see how it goes over the next 48 hours,” the coach had mentioned.
Jackson’s return to the practice field offered some encouragement, but the Ravens remained cautious about declaring him fully fit for Sunday’s game.
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The 29-year-old was listed as “questionable” on Friday’s injury report, with Minter suggesting that his availability could be decided shortly before kickoff. However, the Ravens ultimately made the decision earlier.
Jackson details key return factor
Jackson was sidelined from practice for two weeks after suffering the injury in Week 4. However, he provided an optimistic update on Friday, telling reporters that his recovery was “headed in the right direction.”
The Ravens quarterback also clarified that managing the pain would be more important than the reduction in swelling when assessing his readiness to return to action.
"I feel like the swelling went down a lot. It's just the pain tolerance. Just trying to move how I move. If I can't do that, I can't help my team,” he said.
Ravens’ starting QB in Jackson’s absence
With Jackson sidelined again, Tyler Huntley is expected to take over as Baltimore’s starting quarterback.
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Huntley would start his third game of the season in place of the injured Jackson, continuing his role as Baltimore’s temporary starting quarterback. He has performed reliably in relief, avoiding interceptions across three appearances and posting a 1-1 record in his two previous starts.
(With inputs from AP report.)