The Baltimore Ravens suffered one of the most lopsided defeats in recent team history in Week 5: a 44-10 loss to the visiting Houston Texans.
They may have another tough matchup at home this week to bear without their star quarterback.
Lamar Jackson will not play in Week 6 against the Los Angeles Rams, per multiple reports. He did not practice all week and wasn’t likely to play Sunday at home due to his hamstring injury and the team will once again start backup Cooper Rush.
Jackson initially suffered this hamstring injury during Week 4 in a loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. Rush finished out that game and started last week against the Texans.
Rush completed 14 of 20 passes against Houston for 179 yards and had three interceptions. It was just the second time the career backup had thrown three interceptions; the first came back in October 2022. He and the rest of the Ravens’ offense will face a Rams defense that’s tied for ninth in turnovers this season, with seven.
Here’s what we know about Jackson’s potential return and the rest of the quarterback options for Baltimore.
When will Lamar Jackson return?
There’s no set timetable for Jackson’s return to the field for the Ravens, but his initial diagnosis was two to three weeks on the sideline. The team did not place him on injured reserve (IR), which would’ve required at least four weeks out of the lineup. That means he’ll likely be back sooner than four weeks from the initial injury.
Baltimore has its bye week after Sunday’s game against the Rams. Jackson could return to the lineup after that for Baltimore’s Week 8 matchup at home versus the Chicago Bears.
Ravens QB depth chart
Lamar Jackson (injured)
Cooper Rush
Tyler Huntley
Rush will make his second start of the season Sunday. Last year he went 4-4 as a starter for the Dallas Cowboys after starter Dak Prescott’s injury.
Huntley returned to the Ravens from the Cleveland Browns after training camp cuts and will likely be activated from the practice squad on Sunday to serve as the backup.