Lamar Jackson’s Return Gains Momentum Despite Thursday Limitation

WHO:

ESPN - Lamar Jackson is officially listed as questionable for the Bengals game.

ESPN - Jesse Minter said Jackson “was able to get a pretty good amount of work in” at Friday’s practice.

baltimoreravens.com - Tyler Huntley would start a third straight game if Lamar Jackson could not play.

baltimoreravens.com - Jackson said he had a high ankle sprain and that he had been receiving treatment every day.

baltimoreravens.com - Jackson said, “I'm headed in the right direction.”

Heavy NFL - Baltimore head coach Jesse Minter confirmed that outside linebacker Tavius Robinson will miss the remainder of the 2026 NFL season.

Heavy NFL - Tavius Robinson is a Baltimore outside linebacker.

Draft Sharks - Lamar Jackson is the Baltimore Ravens quarterback.

Heavy NFL - Jesse Minter is named in the article title; the article text does not specify his role.

Heavy NFL - The Baltimore Ravens are identified as Jackson’s team.

WHAT:

ESPN - Jackson said he was unsure whether he would play and that the decision would come down to pain tolerance: “I can't call it right now.”

ESPN - Jackson does not feel pain while walking, but feels it when practicing and planting his foot; he said he “can't put too much pressure” on his left foot.

ESPN - Baltimore scored 116 points and 14 offensive touchdowns in 14 quarters with Jackson this season, compared with 40 points and four touchdowns in 10 quarters with Tyler Huntley.

ESPN - With Jackson as starter, Baltimore has an 11-2 record against Cincinnati; Jackson has thrown 24 touchdowns and six interceptions against the Bengals. Without him, Baltimore is 0-3, including the playoffs, and has lost by an average of 12 points.

baltimoreravens.com - Jackson said the swelling had subsided, but he still felt pain when running and was restricted in what he could do.

baltimoreravens.com - Jackson said he did not need to be 100% to play, but needed to run well enough to help his team; he said playing as “a statue” would not help.

baltimoreravens.com - Jackson said he could not run at all the previous week, turned a corner in Cleveland, tried running again Monday, and had ramped up activity since returning to limited practice.

baltimoreravens.com - Jackson said he missed three games early the previous season with a hamstring injury and was still hurt when he played through other injuries.

baltimoreravens.com - Jackson’s ankle injury occurred when a diving defender’s shoulder landed on the inside of his left ankle as he planted his foot against the Tennessee Titans.

Heavy NFL - Robinson suffered an injury that will keep him out for the rest of the 2026 NFL season.

Draft Sharks - Jackson remained limited in practice.

Draft Sharks - Multiple beat writers reported that Jackson’s limp was gone.

Heavy NFL - One article reports that the Ravens received another injury update on Jackson ahead of their Week 7 action.

Heavy NFL - Another article describes a “clear message” about Jackson’s return to the Ravens; the article text gives no further details.

WHERE:

Draft Sharks - Jackson’s practice was with the Baltimore Ravens.

Heavy NFL - The articles identify the Baltimore Ravens but do not provide a specific location.

WHEN:

Heavy NFL - The Bengals-Ravens matchup is described as Sunday’s game; Cincinnati was set to travel two days after the announcement.

WHY:

baltimoreravens.com - Jackson said he did not want to play if he could not move as he normally does, because he would not help his team and would feel selfish.

Draft Sharks - Jackson was listed with an ankle injury; the article does not state why he remained limited.

HOW:

ESPN - Minter said the quarterback decision would be made after allowing as much time as needed, based on Jackson’s condition and how effective he and the team believed he could be.

baltimoreravens.com - Jackson described the injury as a sprain and said, “It hurt bad” and “It was very, very, very, very, very painful.”

Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson is officially questionable for Baltimore’s game against Cincinnati, and says he still isn’t sure he can play. Jackson described a high ankle sprain, with pain when running or planting his left foot, though swelling has subsided and he’s moving in the right direction. He practiced on a limited basis, and coach Jesse Minter said Jackson got a good amount of work in Friday. The decision will depend on Jackson’s pain tolerance and whether he can move well enough to help; he says he doesn’t want to play if he’d be unable to run normally. If Jackson is out, Tyler Huntley would make his third straight start. Baltimore has scored much more with Jackson this season, and its record against Cincinnati is 11-2 with him starting, compared with 0-3 without him. Meanwhile, outside linebacker Tavius Robinson will miss the rest of the season.