Ravens’ Lamar Jackson ruled out vs. Bengals, will miss 3rd straight game

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Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson has been ruled out of Sunday’s AFC North showdown against the Cincinnati Bengals, the third straight game he’ll miss because of a high-ankle sprain.

Jackson was limited in his return to practice this week and was listed as questionable on Friday’s injury report. But he was downgraded Saturday afternoon, 20 hours before the Ravens’ deadline for activating players for Week 7, an indication he wasn’t close to ready in his recovery.

Quarterback Tyler Huntley will make his third straight start for Jackson, who hurt his ankle Oct. 4, in a Week 4 win over the Tennessee Titans. Huntley is 1-1 this season and 6-7 overall as a starter in his Ravens career. The Ravens (4-2) are coming off a 13-10 road loss to the Cleveland Browns in which they set season lows for points and total yards.

Jackson said after practice Friday that he was “headed in the right direction” but acknowledged he had concerns about his pain levels and mobility. High-ankle sprains typically take at least a month to recover from, though Jackson didn’t disclose how severe the sprain was.

“Just trying to move how I move,” said Jackson, one of the NFL’s most efficient quarterbacks in his four appearances this season. “If I can’t do that, I can’t help my team. I can’t put my team in a situation to win. I feel like I’m doing a disservice, if anything.”

Jackson’s absence comes at a costly juncture in this Ravens season. Five of the team’s next six opponents, including the Bengals (3-2), are ranked among the NFL’s nine best teams, according to FTN.

After Sunday, the Ravens will turn their focus to preparing Jackson for a potential Week 8 return against the Buffalo Bills.

“One thing I’ll say about Lamar is ... he’s super competitive and he wants to play,” coach Jesse Minter said Friday. “So, again, it’s going to be a decision based on how he feels, how effective he feels like he can be and how we feel like it looks. So that’s really what we’ll base our decision on.”

Huntley has started against Cincinnati just once in his career, a 2022 wild-card-round playoff loss. With Jackson sidelined by injury, he went 17-for-29 for 226 yards and two touchdowns but threw an interception and had a costly goal-line fumble that the Bengals returned for a touchdown.

He said Friday that he was preparing to play Sunday, regardless of Jackson’s chances of a return. And he knows the offense has to improve.

“We just have to,” Huntley said. “That’s what we are going to have to do to win. That’s what’s required, so we have to.”

Note

The Ravens placed outside linebacker Tavius Robinson on injured reserve after he suffered a season-ending pectoral injury Sunday in Cleveland. Practice squad offensive lineman Kyle Hergel was signed to the 53-man roster, while practice squad outside linebacker Adisa Isaac was elevated for Sunday’s game. The former third-round pick hasn’t played in a game since December 2024.

This article has been updated.