2:46pm: Part of the story of Jackson’s downgrade came as Baltimore changed the reporting of his practice participation from yesterday, changing the original “full practice” reporting to “limited practice.” Per Ralph Vacchiano of FOX Sports, the reason for the change was that Jackson only took scout team snaps at practice yesterday, getting no reps with the usual starters. Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports provided the snippet from the NFL’s injury policy, which says, “participation on the scout team, no matter how extensive, by a player whose normal repetitions would be with the starters but for his medical condition, would not alter the player’s proper designation as ‘Limited Participation.’”
The NFL’s Management Council regularly investigates injury report disputes to ensure compliance with the policy, and though such investigations could take weeks, Baltimore could, at some point, be hit with a fine. Days after the largest sports gambling story in recent history hit the air waves, though, the league might think to make an example of the Ravens, if they find they can prove ill intent.
11:50am: Injured Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson will miss Week 8 against the Bears, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports. Tyler Huntley, signed from the Ravens’ practice squad, will start. Jackson is expected to return in Week 9 in Miami.
While it was reported that Jackson was a full participant in practice on Friday, that was not the case. The Ravens announced that the two-time MVP remained limited with a hamstring injury. He’ll now miss his third straight game, an unwelcome development as Baltimore returns from its bye.
Off to a stunning 1-5 start after entering the season as Super Bowl hopefuls, the Ravens are 0-2 without Jackson. With Jackson unavailable, the Ravens initially turned to ex-Cowboy Cooper Rush as their starter. That couldn’t have gone worse. The Texans and Rams outscored the Ravens 61-13 in a pair of lopsided defeats. While Rush was a capable backup in Dallas, he went 25 for 39 for 251 yards, no touchdowns, and four interceptions in his first two starts as a Raven.
With Rush struggling mightily, the Ravens pulled him in favor of Huntley in the Rams game. Huntley finished the day 10 of 15 for 68 yards. Unlike Rush, Huntley can hurt defenses with his legs. He added 39 yards on three rushing attempts last week.
Huntley spent the first four years of his career in Baltimore before a regular-season stint with the Dolphins in 2024. He made nine starts for the Ravens from 2021-23. The team went 3-6 in those games, though Huntley’s 2-2 mark while filling in for Jackson in 2022 helped the Ravens earn a playoff berth.
As the Ravens try to keep their fading playoff hopes alive this year, they’ll need a strong performance out of Huntley against the 4-2 Bears. Regardless of whether the Ravens pull off a victory on Sunday, they’ll get Jackson back with a favorable schedule over the next several weeks. They’re set to face five straight sub-.500 opponents after Chicago, including the winless Jets in Week 12.