Tyler

Huntley

In addition to being hopeful that Jackson will return in Week 9, Harbaugh also said he had no involvement in the team’s injury designations after Jackson was listed as a full participant in practice last Friday. Jackson did practice last week with the team, and was (we believe) correctly listed as limited on Wednesday and Thursday. Given the short turnaround before Week 9’s game, Jackson’s status on Monday’s report will be of the estimated variety, while Tuesday’s report will come after an actual practice. If Jackson is still unable to go, Tyler Huntley would draw the start after playing well in Week 8’s win over the Bears.

Making his first start for the Ravens since Week 18 of the 2023 season, Huntley stepped up big for the Ravens in a must-win game. The veteran signal-caller saw his offense go three-and-out on their first possession, but bounced back to lead a touchdown drive on their second possession, thanks in part to a 15-yard completion to Rashod Bateman on a long second down that helped make for a manageable third down conversion. Huntley completed three passes of 20-plus yards on the day, and connected with Charlie Kolar on a 10-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter to push the Ravens’ lead to 23-13 with just over eight minutes left in regulation. He would lead one more touchdown drive in the fourth quarter to officially put the game out of reach, as the Ravens now move to 2-5 on the season with a short turnaround to prepare for Thursday night against the Dolphins. Lamar Jackson (hamstring) is expected to return in Week 9, but if he is unable to go, Huntley would again draw the start in his absence.

Jackson’s Friday practice and game status was curiously updated Saturday afternoon by the Ravens after multiple reports that he would miss the Week 8 matchup with the Bears. Maybe the Ravens just need to brush up on their order of operations, but changing Jackson’s Friday practice status from a full to a limited participant on Saturday afternoon is something the league might want to look into. Tyler Huntley is poised to start for the Ravens this week while Jackson sets his sights on a Week 9 return against the Dolphins on Thursday night.

Following a report early Saturday morning from NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport that Jackson could miss Week 8, Schefter is now reporting Jackson will in fact miss the game against the Bears with Tyler Huntley set to start. While Jackson was able to practice this week, Rapoport reported at least some of that practice work came while running the scout team. Jackson has a good chance to return in Week 9 on Thursday against the Dolphins.

While Ravens coach John Harbaugh said Jackson had a full practice Friday, Rapoport passes along that the 28-year-old quarterback actually ran the scout team. Couple that with Harbaugh being noncommittal about Jackson starting this week and Jackson could be another week away from playing. Tyler Huntley would be in line to start against the Bears if Jackson is unavailable.

Jackson got in a full practice on Friday for the first time since hurting his hamstring, but the questionable listing is curious. The Ravens did not have Jackson talk to the media on Sunday, instead letting Tyler Huntley be interviewed. John Harbaugh said Huntley would start if Jackson could not go. This won’t be the last Lamar Jackson update this weekend, but it does seem like there is some real doubt on his status despite practicing all week. Huntley was signed to the active roster shortly thereafter.

With the Ravens trailing 17-3 early in the fourth quarter and nothing doing on offense, Huntley was called on to relieve Cooper Rush. Coach John Harbaugh claimed afterward it had been the plan all along to get both quarterbacks work, but that the opportunity never presented itself in quarters 1-3. Whatever. With the Ravens now headed on bye for Week 7 and Lamar Jackson (hamstring) finally expected back for Week 8 against the Bears, Huntley isn’t worth a waivers bid in superflex this week.

The Ravens’ offense has struggled to move the ball downfield with Jackson sidelined. The team initially turned to backup QB Cooper Rush after Jackson was injured in Week 4, but Rush was benched in-game during the Ravens’ 17-3, Week 6 loss to the Rams. From Weeks 4-6, Rush completed 34-of-52 passes for 303 yards and four interceptions, adding four rushes for minus-eight yards. Fellow backup QB Tyler Huntley completed 10-of-15 passes for 68 yards and rushed three times for 39 yards after subbing in. Jackson’s expected return should immediately improve the fantasy-scoring prospects for all Ravens starters. Harbaugh said he expects LB Roquan Smith (hamstring) to return in Week 8 as well.

Per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Jackson is reportedly facing “an uphill battle” to play in Week 6. A DNP on Wednesday confirms that report and all but rules Jackson out for Sunday’s game. Barring a surprise, Cooper Rush should make his second start as a Raven, though Tyler Huntley is also an option for the team. Rush imploded in his first start, throwing for 179 yards and three interceptions in a blowout loss to the Texans. We don’t have high hopes for the offense no matter who draws the start versus the Rams.

The Browns certainly weren’t going to keep five quarterbacks, and Huntley was only in camp because of their plethora of injuries at the position. He’ll likely be a practice squad player for a new team in the coming days. The Browns also released S Nik Needham, T Jackson Barton and CB Tony Brown Jr.