Lamar Jackson is closer to returning than he has been at any point since hurting his left ankle against the Titans. He just isn't all the way there yet.
The Ravens officially listed Jackson as questionable Friday after he was a limited participant in practice for the third straight day. He told reporters afterward that he's "headed in the right direction" for Sunday's AFC North home game against the Cincinnati Bengals. Asked whether that means he'll be under center, Jackson stopped short of a promise: "We'll see, hopefully."
Head coach Jesse Minter landed in the same place. Jackson did enough this week to put himself in the conversation, but the decision will hinge on how his ankle responds over the next two days — and Minter made clear Baltimore is willing to wait as long as it takes to find out.
"I think we're still working through that, but [Lamar Jackson]'s been able to get some work in these last couple days," Minter said. "Again, between Lamar, our staff and us, it's going to be a decision based on him, how he feels and how effective [we] feel like it could be. So, [we] had a good couple of days, but we'll see how it goes in the next 48 hours."
A Game-Time Call Is on the Table
Jackson was limited Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, though Minter said the two-time MVP handled "a pretty good amount of work" in the final session of the week. The questionable designation came later Friday, after Minter told reporters the team would "figure that out here in the next couple of hours."
Asked whether the Ravens would ride the decision right up to kickoff, Minter didn't rule it out. "I think it's in that phase where we certainly [will go] as long as it needs to take," he said.
There's no specific benchmark Jackson has to clear, according to his coach. Swelling after practice is part of the evaluation, but so is everything else.
"It's just one of those injuries where it's a combination of what [Lamar Jackson] can do, how he can move, how he can do things and how effective he feels like he can be," Minter said. "So, we'll see how it goes."
Minter declined to describe how Jackson looked during the portions of practice he took part in, offering only that the quarterback "was able to get in the work that he needed to get in and potentially have a shot to play."
Jackson: 'I Can Walk Perfectly Fine'
Jackson offered the most detailed look yet at what the last three weeks have been like. When he went down on the sack that ended the first half against Tennessee on Oct. 4, he said, he couldn't put any weight on the foot, describing the pain as "very, very, very painful." The recovery since has been a daily routine of treatment, ice and massage aimed at getting the swelling down.
"It's been bothering me the whole time I've been out; it's just been getting better," Jackson said. He said he felt a noticeable improvement last Sunday and was able to do some running on Sunday and Monday.
Walking isn't the issue anymore. Running is.
"I can walk perfectly fine," Jackson said, noting that the discomfort shows up when he tries to run.
For a quarterback whose game is built on the ability to plant, cut and escape, that distinction matters. Jackson said the real test will be whether he can move the way he normally moves without the ankle dictating otherwise — and if he can't, he doesn't want to be out there.
"I'm trying to plant how I plant," Jackson said. "The pain tolerance, just trying to move how I move. If I can't do that... I feel like I'm doing a disservice, if anything."
That said, Jackson doesn't believe he needs to be pain-free to play. "If I can go out there and feel the pain a little bit, I can play," he said.
Pushing Back on the Diagnosis Report
Jackson also took issue with a report from NFL Network's Ian Rapoport characterizing the injury as neither a high-ankle sprain or low-ankle sprain, suggesting perhaps it was a deltoid sprain on the inside of the ankle rather than a high-ankle sprain. Jackson waved it off with a question of his own — "He part of the training staff?" — and said he's going by what Ravens head athletic trainer Adrian Dixon told him: "We going with what Adrian told me."
Last Season Looms Over the Decision
The cautious approach carries some history behind it. Jackson missed four games in 2025 with hamstring and back injuries, and even after he returned, his mobility never fully looked like his own for much of the year.
Asked whether that experience factors into how the Ravens handle this one, Minter pointed instead to his quarterback's competitive wiring.
"One thing I'll say about Lamar [Jackson] is there's nobody that — he's super competitive, and he wants to play," Minter said. "So, again, it's going to be a decision based on how he feels, how effective he feels like he can be and how we feel like it looks. So, that's really what we'll base our decision on."
Huntley Preparing to Start, Again
If Jackson can't go, Tyler Huntley would make his third straight start. Huntley led the Ravens to a 30-23 overtime win in Atlanta in Week 5, but the offense stalled last week in a 13-10 loss at Cleveland, where Baltimore scored all of its points in the first quarter, managed just 235 total yards and gained only 72 after halftime. The loss dropped the Ravens to 4-2.
Huntley said his routine doesn't change based on the uncertainty. "Just like every week, I just prepare to play, and once we get to Sunday, we're going to see," he said.
He was blunt about what needs to improve from Cleveland. "We just were making critical mistakes," Huntley said. "Just on everybody's part, everybody [needs to be] doing their 1-of-11. We just were making the wrong mistakes at the wrong time." On putting more points on the board, he kept it simple: "That's what's required, so we have to."
The quarterback uncertainty is layered on top of change at center. With Jovaughn Gwyn on injured reserve with an ankle injury, Cam Jurgens is working his way into the lineup after clearing concussion protocol, meaning the Ravens have spent the week rotating two quarterbacks and multiple centers through snap work. Huntley said the daily center-quarterback exchange drills are designed for exactly that situation, and he praised how quickly Jurgens has absorbed the offense — even asking about play calls from the back of the huddle when he isn't taking reps.
"[Cam Jurgens] is doing a great job," Huntley said. "When he gets back in, he's been amazing."
As for Jackson, Huntley has no doubt about where his teammate's head is. "[Lamar Jackson] has been working hard, but I know if he's ready to play, he's going to play. There's no question about that," he said. "So, we'll see come Sunday if he's ready to play."
Why Sunday Matters
The stakes are high for an early-season divisional game. Every team in the AFC North has a winning record entering Week 7, with Baltimore, Cleveland and Pittsburgh all at 4-2 and Cincinnati at 3-2 coming off its bye. Jackson's history against the Bengals only sharpens the question: he's 11-2 as a starter against Cincinnati in his career. The Bengals also bring Trey Hendrickson's former team to Baltimore for the first time since the edge rusher signed with the Ravens in March.
Jackson last played a full half on Oct. 4, completing 15 of 20 passes for 222 yards and two touchdowns against Tennessee before the injury.
Ravens-Bengals Injury Report
Jackson isn't Baltimore's only question mark. The defense will be without two starters, with safety Jaylinn Hawkins (knee) and outside linebacker Tavius Robinson (pectoral) both ruled out. Robinson didn't practice all week, and Hawkins sat out Thursday and Friday. Cornerback T.J. Tampa Jr., designated to return from injured reserve, is doubtful after three limited sessions, and defensive tackle Broderick Washington (ankle) is questionable.
On offense, everyone else on the report is ready to go. Center Cam Jurgens (concussion) practiced fully all week and carries no designation, and the same goes for tight end Mark Andrews (hand), receiver Rashod Bateman (shoulder) and guards John Simpson (groin) and Andrew Vorhees (foot). Left tackle Ronnie Stanley and defensive lineman Calais Campbell were held out Friday for rest and are expected to play.
Cincinnati's report is much lighter. Defensive tackles Jonathan Allen, B.J. Hill and Dexter Lawrence II all sat out Friday for rest and have no designation, and safety Kyle Dugger (quadriceps) is good to go after back-to-back full practices.
Ravens
- QB Lamar Jackson (ankle) — questionable
- DT Broderick Washington (ankle) — questionable
- CB T.J. Tampa Jr. (knee) — doubtful
- S Jaylinn Hawkins (knee) — out
- OLB Tavius Robinson (pectoral) — out
Bengals
- No players carry a game designation
Kickoff Information
Matchup: Cincinnati Bengals at Baltimore Ravens
When: Sunday, Oct. 25, 1:00 p.m. ET
Where: M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore
TV: CBS — Jim Nantz (play-by-play), J.J. Watt (analyst)
Radio: 98 Rock (97.9 FM) and WBAL NewsRadio (AM 1090 / FM 101.5)