Lamar says he’s ‘heading in the right direction’

Though it’s unclear what, exactly, is going on with Jackson’s lingering ankle injury, a Wednesday practice puts him in a good spot to suit up in Week 8 against the Bills. His return will be a boon for Zay Flowers and the rest of the Baltimore offense. If Jackson can’t play, Tyler Huntley will get another start and should be used in superflex formats.

Jackson surprisingly missed the Ravens’ Week 7 loss to the Bengals with his lingering ankle injury, which has been described as neither high nor low. “If Jackson’s injury history has taught the football world anything, his timeline to return can be complicated and an extended absence can derail the Ravens’ season,” Hensley said. “But ultimately, the only one who truly knows when Jackson will return is Jackson himself.” NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport said on Tuesday that he expected Jackson to suit up in Week 8 against the Bills. We likely won’t be sure of that until pre-game warmups. Tyler Huntley would continue as Baltimore’s starter if Jackson remains sidelined.

It’s Tuesday, so we’re only 10 more Lamar updates from getting to the weekend. Rapoport believes according to people he’s spoken with that Jackson will play, and he is “believed to be as close to 100 percent as he has been.” Rapoport also noted that the Ravens weren’t “shocked” that Jackson didn’t play in Week 7, but with a Sunday and a Thursday coming up, wanted him ready for Week 8 and Week 9 badly.

This comes just over 24 hours after it was reported that Jackson would play in Week 8 against the Bills. Speaking with the media on Monday, Minter played coy with his remarks about his QB1 while adding that the team will know more about his status when they take the practice field on Wednesday. Jackson was reportedly close to suiting up for Week 7 against the Browns, but we heard similar reports three weeks ago when the Ravens faced the Falcons. While Jackson missing another game would be a bit surprising at this point, it’s hard to be surprised by any games he misses at this stage in his career, as they often seem to linger longer than expected.

Reporting from the sideline of Sunday’s Ravens vs. Bengals game, Wolfson reports that Ravens head coach Jesse Minter told her Jackson would play in Week 8. According to Wolfson, the late decision to sit Jackson this week came after the team had a chance to review footage of Jackson in practice. Minter said Jackson still didn’t look like himself in practice, which is why the team opted to give him one more week away. This is the first time Minter has committed to Jackson returning, so hopefully this is a good sign for his Week 8 availability. We will, of course, be monitoring his practice throughout the week until he is fully removed from the injury report.

Washington was the only player carrying a questionable designation heading into Sunday’s game, but he has officially been ruled out with an ankle injury. Jackson, who is also dealing with an ankle injury, will miss his third-straight game, paving the way for Tyler Huntley to start in the pivotal AFC North matchup.

Rapoport added that Jackson was really close to playing this week. With Tyler Huntley playing well enough to go 1-1 so far, the Ravens took a cautious approach and ruled him out for Week 7. Huntley will start versus the Bengals later today. If all goes well in practice next week, Jackson should be back and vying for the QB1 crown in a shootout with the Bills for Week 8.

Tyler Huntley will draw the start under center for the third straight game as Jackson continues to rehab a high-ankle sprain. Jackson reportedly took most of the first-team reps at practice Friday and was close to being able to play in Week 7, with the team ultimately siding with caution for their franchise quarterback. The Ravens enter a 15-game stretch in which they play three games starting in Week 8, which could have influenced their decision to hold Jackson out one more game. Expect him back for Week 8 against the Bills. His absence greatly influences the upside of the remaining skill position players considering Declan Doyle has halved his usage of play action and completely eliminated RPO with Huntley under center.

Appearing on ESPN Saturday morning, Fowler said the Ravens are “hopeful” that Jackson can play against the Bengals. He added that the team isn’t “overly optimistic” because, according to a source, Jackson is “50/50" to play in Week 7. If Jackson can’t go, Tyler Huntley will get the start and fantasy managers will need a backup plan this week. At this point, it’s unlikely we receive more clarity on the situation before inactives are released Sunday morning.

This makes three straight practices for Jackson, who continues to trend in the right direction ahead of Week 7’s game against the Bengals. Jackson was listed as a limited participant in each of the first two practices to start the week and should have a good chance of suiting up, even if he’s only listed as a limited participant. We will provide an update on his official status when the team announces it, but this is yet another encouraging sign for the two-time MVP.