The Ravens had a welcome return to the field at Wednesday’s practice.
Quarterback Lamar Jackson is in uniform and taking part in practice for the first time since injuring his hamstring in a September 28 loss to the Chiefs. Reporters at the open portion of the session shared that Jackson was running around and making throws to teammates.
The team’s injury report will bring official word on his participation level, but those reporters indicated that it will likely be a limited tag for Jackson’s first day back. There will also be press conferences that could shed more light on his outlook for Sunday’s game against the Bears.
That’s still a significant step in a positive direction for a 1-5 team that is going to need all hands on deck if they are going to make a run at the postseason over their final 11 games.
The fact that the 1-5 Ravens are 6.5-point favorites on Sunday against the 4-2 Bears has created a presumption that two-time MVP quarterback Lamar Jackson will return from a hamstring injury suffered 24 days ago.
Before Jackson can play, he’ll presumably have to practice. He hasn’t practiced yet.
We’ll find out soon whether he practiced on Wednesday, the first full workday in advance of Sunday’s Week 8 game.
There’s an important subtext to consider. Jackson by all public appearances wants a contract that puts his compensation package better in line with the likes of Josh Allen and Dak Prescott. Until Jackson gets what he believes he deserves, why risk aggravation or some other injury until he’s truly 100 percent?
We saw that dynamic in 2021 and 2022, with Jackson suffering late-season injuries from which he didn’t return. In 2022, he didn’t play in the playoff loss to the Bengals.
Players who believe they merit greater financial security must be sensitive to the risks associated with playing at less than full strength. There are no guarantees except the guarantees negotiated into contracts. Jackson has, under his current deal, a $29 million salary guarantee in 2026.
That’s a very real factor. And it’s a factor that can, in theory, be eliminated at any time — with the negotiation of a new contract.
So don’t be surprised if this takes a little longer. And don’t be surprised if Jackson won’t practice or play until he believes his hamstring injury has fully healed.
Then there’s the practical reality of whether it even makes sense to return, if the losses continue. While it’s not unprecedented for a team to make the playoffs after starting 1-5 (it has happened four times since 1970, without 17 games and/or three wild-card berths per conference). If the Ravens fall to 1-6, they’ll be facing a must-win, short-week trip to Miami.
If they emerge from the first eight games at 1-7 and if Lamar still isn’t fully healthy, why return at all in 2025?
The Ravens have reached the “take ping pong tables out of the locker room” stage of their losing streak.
At 1-5 and on a four-game losing streak, Baltimore is perhaps the NFL’s most disappointing team this season. And as disappointing teams often do, they’ve decided to buckle down and get to work.
According to the Baltimore Sun, the Ravens removed recreation from the locker room, which included getting rid of ping pong tables, a basketball hoop, cornhole boards and video game consoles. The report says the coaches made the decision to make the locker room more businesslike.
That’s a common occurrence in the NFL, where teams often swing between viewing fun in the locker room as an important part of team-building, and deciding that players are having too much fun at the expense of winning football games.
But while it’s common, it can also be viewed as a desperation tactic on a team that entered the season with Super Bowl aspirations. The Ravens are favored to beat the Bears on Sunday in a game that could turn Baltimore’s fortunes around. But a loss could lead to even more desperation in Baltimore.
Ravens head coach John Harbaugh said last week that he expects quarterback Lamar Jackson to return to action after the team’s Week 7 bye, but he wasn’t on the field for the team’s first practice since returning to work.
Multiple reporters at Monday’s practice shared that Jackson remains off the field. Jackson missed the last two games with a hamstring injury he suffered against the Chiefs on September 28.
Cooper Rush started both of those games and the two losses sent the Ravens into the bye with a 1-5 record.
While Jackson is still out, the Ravens did get some players back on the field. Linebacker Roquan Smith and cornerback Chidobe Awuzie were both practicing after missing time with hamstring injuries.
The Ravens will not issue their first injury report for this week’s game against the Bears until Wednesday, so official word on participation levels will not come until that day’s session is complete.
The Bears won their fourth consecutive game on Sunday to improve their record to 4-2. The Ravens licked their wounds during their bye week, nursing a 1-5 record and hoping to reverse a four-game losing streak.
The betting odds, however, suggest that the Ravens aren’t as bad as their record would suggest, and the Bears aren’t as good.
Baltimore is a 6.5-point favorite at home against Chicago on Sunday.
The biggest reason for optimism that the Ravens will turn things around is that they should be healthier. They’ve had severeal key players out, most notably quarterback Lamar Jackson, who is expected to be back against the Bears. Jackson missed the last two games with a hamstring injury, and the Ravens lost those two games by a combined score of 61-13. The Ravens’ record isn’t good, but their roster, when healthy, is talented.
After the Bears, the Ravens are heading into an easy schedule, facing the Dolphins, Vikings, Browns, Jets and Bengals in their next five games. The Ravens could go on a run, starting on Sunday. The betting odds say they will.
