Lamar Jackson has not played a snap for the Baltimore Ravens since he walked off at halftime of the game at Tennessee on 4 October. On Wednesday, with his left ankle visibly taped, he was back on the practice field in Owings Mills as the team opened its preparation for Sunday’s trip to Highmark Stadium.

Kickoff against the Buffalo Bills is at 1pm local time. It is the game head coach Jesse Minter, in his first season after John Harbaugh’s January departure, needs his quarterback for.

Minter, speaking to reporters on Monday, said Jackson was “in a decent spot” to play, but attached a clear condition.

“I think he’ll be in a decent spot, but we’ll know a lot more on Wednesday.”

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The Wednesday practice itself is the first piece of that information. Jackson has now been a limited participant in two straight weeks of practice without playing. He was close enough to go against Cincinnati last Sunday that CBS Sports’ Tracy Wolfson reported Minter had committed to him before a Saturday workout changed the plan.

Three missed games, and a lingering ankle

The injury has been described all month as a high-ankle sprain. Jackson has sat out three straight games with it, including last Sunday’s 35-13 defeat at home to the Cincinnati Bengals, which left Baltimore at 4-3 heading into Week 8.

Backup Tyler Huntley has started those three games. Minter, pressed on when the call will be made, has said only that the decision belongs to the player and the medical staff.

“When Lamar and our training staff and our doctors and myself and everybody in the organization feel that it’s best for him to be on the field, that he’ll be on the field, and everybody will know when that is,” Minter told reporters.

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NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported Wednesday that he expects Jackson to play.

‘The best player in the NFL’

Left tackle Ronnie Stanley put the stakes bluntly.

“It’s going to be a big boost. Lamar is the best player in the NFL.”

Running back Derrick Henry, who has carried much of the offensive load during Jackson’s absence, called him “the heart and soul of this team.”

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“He’s the leader of this offense, so anytime he’s out there, it’s always great. I know he wants to be out there with us and to put us in the best position to win,” Henry told the team’s official site.

Buffalo arrives at 5-1 and rested

The Bills, under first-year head coach Joe Brady, are 5-1 and lead the AFC East. They were off in Week 7, which gives Josh Allen and the Buffalo offence two full weeks of preparation.

The injury report Baltimore files on Wednesday evening will show how much of practice Jackson actually did. The Ravens’ next update is Thursday.

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