As the Ravens return from their bye week with a 1-5 record, Baltimore remains in a holding pattern at quarterback.
Lamar Jackson did not practice Monday and was last seen on the field as a spectator in Baltimore’s Sept. 28 loss at Kansas City. He left the 37-20 defeat late in the game and Cooper Rush started each of the past two games, home losses to the Houston Texans (44-10) and the Los Angeles Rams (17-3).
Monday marked more than three weeks for the Ravens without the two-time NFL MVP driving a high-octane offense.
Jackson threw a league-leading 10 touchdown passes and posted a 130.5 passer rating in his four starts. The Ravens averaged 32.8 points per game in those starts, but they have managed a total of 13 points in the two contests since he went to the sidelines with a hamstring injury.
There is still time for Jackson to suit up for practice this week as the Ravens prepare to welcome the Chicago Bears (4-2) on Sunday.
Two defensive players sidelined with hamstring injuries before the bye, inside linebacker Roquan Smith and cornerback Chidobe Awuzie, were able to participate Monday. Moreover, bruising five-time Pro Bowl fullback Patrick Ricard was practicing and could see action for the first time on Sunday.
No injury report is required of the Ravens for Sunday’s game until Wednesday afternoon.
Ravens coach John Harbaugh said before the team broke for the bye he was more than hopeful Jackson’s hamstring would be healed enough to play this week.
“Well, I’m leaning into (Lamar Jackson’s return) pretty hard,” Harbaught said last week. “Psychologically, how much am I leaning into Lamar coming back and playing? … If I was on the couch with a psychiatrist right now, if I was spilling it, I would have to say I’m leaning really hard into that, really hard. For any kind of psychological wellbeing, spiritual wellbeing, I’m leaning hard on that happening. So, I’m very hopeful that that happens.”
While Baltimore was off, the Cincinnati Bengals (3-5) and Cleveland Browns (2-5) earned victories in Week 7 to move ahead of the Ravens in the standings. Baltimore sits alone at the bottom of the AFC North standings but has five games remaining against division rivals. The Ravens’ lone win this season was over the Browns in Week 2, 41-17.
