The Ravens got the result they wanted in Week 4, but the win over the Tennessee Titans came with a hit that could shape what comes next. Lamar Jackson exited early with an ankle injury, and by the following day, his status for Week 5 was still very much unsettled.
ESPN’s Jamison Hensley reported that head coach Jesse Minter didn’t have a firm update on Jackson beyond saying the injury does not appear to be a long-term problem. Even so, that leaves plenty of uncertainty hanging over Sunday night’s game against the Falcons.
“Ravens coach Jesse Minter on whether Lamar Jackson (ankle) will start Sunday night at Falcons: 'I don't know the chances yet,'” Hensley reported.
Hensley also relayed Minter’s view that, “I don't think it's going to be crazy long-term.” That’s obviously better news than something more severe, but it still leaves the door open for Jackson to miss time in the short term.
At the moment, Jackson is in limbo. He could still be available in Week 5, but there’s also a real chance he sits out, and Minter’s comments didn’t do much to clear the picture.
If Jackson does end up missing action, the expectation from this update is that it wouldn’t be a lengthy absence. A week or two seems to be the range suggested here, depending on how quickly he recovers.
That still matters a lot for Baltimore. Any time Jackson is out, the Ravens lose a major piece, and the Falcons are coming in with momentum since getting Michael Penix Jr. back, which makes the matchup look a lot tougher than it might have before the injury news.
In Other News...
Ravens Win Over Titans Came With One Huge Worry
The Ravens got out of Week 4 with a 24-18 win over the Titans, but it came in a way that hardly felt comforting. Baltimore had to fight through a messy afternoon marked by penalties and a steady stream of injury issues, and the game changed sharply when Lamar Jackson exited with an ankle injury before the second half.
Baltimore still found a way to secure its third victory of the season, which matters in the standings even if the mood around the locker room was understandably mixed. The bigger question now is how the Ravens come out of this one physically, because losing Jackson for any stretch changes everything about how this team can function moving forward. [Read more 🡒]
Ravens Win Didnt Silence 2 Defensive Concerns Fans Still Feel
Baltimores 24-18 win at M&T Bank Stadium brought relief, and Nnamdi Madubuikes impact in his second game back from neck surgery was one of the brighter signs on a defense that needed them. Still, the victory did not erase the broader issues the Ravens have been carrying, especially with injuries thinning out key spots and forcing the unit to keep adapting on the fly.
The bigger worry remains the same familiar one: the pass rush has not been consistent enough, and the late-game defense has left too much to clean up after the fact. Rookie head coach Jesse Minter adjusted the scheme as the game went along, but he also made clear the Ravens need more sacks and a better finish when games tighten in the fourth quarter. [Read more 🡒]
Ravens Defense Has A Reunion Story Fans Will Want To See
Zion Young and Nate Wiggins have traveled a long way from youth football fields to the Ravens locker room, and their path back to each other adds a personal layer to Baltimores defense. The two were childhood friends who first played together when they were kids, then followed different routes through their athletic careers before ending up on the same NFL team after the draft. For the Ravens, it is the kind of reunion story that goes beyond roster construction and into the relationships that helped shape both players.
Their families and former coaches remember two different personalities, but the same steady bond that carried them through each stage of the journey. Youngs family plans to be at a Ravens home game to root for both friends, a reminder that this reunion will be felt far beyond the field. For a team always looking for edge and connection on defense, having two players who grew up pushing each other might make this one especially worth watching. [Read more 🡒]