Lamar Jackson was not on the field when the Baltimore Ravens opened their Week 7 preparation on Wednesday. He was listed as a non-participant on the team’s first injury report of the week, extending his absence from training since he sprained his ankle in the Week 4 win over the Tennessee Titans on October 4.

Head coach Jesse Minter, in his first year after replacing John Harbaugh in January, had left the door open earlier in the week. On Monday he classified Jackson as day-to-day and said he could potentially practice at some point.

“I’d still put it in kind of the day-to-day thing,” Minter told reporters. “We’ll know a lot more on Wednesday, I would say.”

Wednesday did not deliver the clarity Baltimore was looking for.

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Huntley starts have gone 1-1

Backup Tyler Huntley has run the offence in each of the last two games, splitting the two. Baltimore edged the Atlanta Falcons 30-23 in overtime before falling 13-10 at home to the Cleveland Browns last Sunday. Against the Browns, Huntley completed 19 of 31 passes for 165 yards and a touchdown, and the Ravens scored no points after the first quarter.

Jackson’s own numbers before the injury were MVP-level. Through four games he had passed for 967 yards with six touchdowns and one interception at a 70.8% completion rate, and he had added 144 rushing yards and a score.

Divisional stakes at M&T Bank Stadium

Kickoff at M&T Bank Stadium is at 1pm local time on Sunday. The game will be carried nationally on CBS, with Paramount+ streaming it locally.

A divisional loss at home with the backup under centre would widen a hole the Ravens are already in, and Jackson’s own level of urgency has not been in question inside the building. Minter said on Monday that his quarterback had been working his tail off to get back and had stayed on top of Huntley’s preparation during his time out.

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Trade deadline leaves little room

Help from the trade market is not likely to arrive at quarterback, or anywhere else expensive. General manager Eric DeCosta has roughly $2.16 million in available salary cap space, the third-lowest total in the NFL, as the Ravens’ own in-house mailbag laid out on Tuesday.

The club has already made the move it was most likely to make. On October 7 the Ravens acquired Pro Bowl centre Cam Jurgens from the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for a 2027 fifth-round pick and a 2028 second-round pick, with the Ravens also receiving a 2027 seventh-rounder. Baltimore had been down to its fourth centre of the season after injuries up front, and any further additions before the November 4 deadline are expected to be modest.

The next formal update on Jackson’s status will come when the Ravens release their Thursday injury report, with a final game designation to follow on Friday.

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