Earlier in the week, first year Baltimore Ravens head coach Jesse Minter It was suggested that quarterback Lamar Jackson was unnecessary practice The 3-1 Ravens will begin play at the 2-2 Atlanta Falcons this coming Sunday night.
That said, Jackson missed practice all week until Friday with an ankle injury he suffered in Baltimore’s win over the Tennessee Titans on Oct. 4. On Friday’s edition of “The Pat McAfee Show,” league NFL Network/ESPN insider Ian Rapoport shared an expected update on Jackson’s status for the Falcons game.
Lamar Jackson headed to watch Sunday’s game from the sideline
“I’d be surprised if he played,” Rapoport said about Jackson’s availability for this Sunday.
As has been the case since last Monday, backup Tyler Huntley is on track to start for Baltimore against Atlanta. A proven QB2, Huntley Jackson filled in against the Titans and went 8-of-9 passing for 63 yards in the second half of that game.
Shortly after Rapoport’s segment ended, DraftKings Sportsbook listed the Ravens as three-point road underdogs against the Falcons. Atlanta is coming off wins of 35-14 and 45-24.
How many games did Lamar Jackson miss?
A previous report said Jackson “could miss a lot of games based on how rehab goes.” The Ravens don’t seem ready to make such a declaration about his status beyond the Falcons game.
“It could be a multi-week injury,” Rapoport added of Jackson. “I know the Ravens hope not. I know there’s optimism that, if he’s out (this weekend), it’s only one week. But history has shown us that there are times when injuries to Lamar have taken a little longer than people thought, for whatever reason. …So, I think it’s possible that it’s multiple weeks.”
Following Week 5, the Ravens will play the potentially great Cleveland Browns (3-1) on October 18. Next Sunday, Baltimore will host the Cincinnati Bengals (2-2).
While every game in the regular season is important (usually) for teams, the Ravens would obviously prefer Jackson to sit out this weekend and then try to get healthy to take on a pair of divisional opponents.