Lamar Jackson, the electrifying quarterback for the Baltimore Ravens, is officially sidelined for Sunday night’s clash against the Atlanta Falcons with an ankle sprain. Head coach Jesse Minter delivered the news, confirming what many feared after Jackson missed practice this week.
Jackson initially suffered the ankle sprain during Baltimore’s 24-18 victory over the Tennessee Titans last week. He did not return for the second half of that game and was later spotted leaving the locker room in a walking boot. While Minter had previously hinted that Jackson might not necessarily need to practice to be available, and there was even an “outside” chance he wouldn’t miss any time, his absence from this week’s practice sessions sealed his fate for Week 5. That’s a brutal blow for Baltimore, no doubt.
With Jackson out, Tyler “Snoop” Huntley steps in as the starting quarterback. Huntley got some reps last week after Jackson went down, going 8-of-9 passing for 63 yards and adding 16 rushing yards. Coach Minter, talking about Huntley, was clear: “I mean, look, there is only one Lamar Jackson.” But he also backed his backup, saying, “I think Snoop as a backup quarterback in this league, and even as a starter at times, has shown the ability to come in and really kind of run the offense, make plays with his legs and be able to make plays on third down.” That’s a good vote of confidence, but the numbers don’t lie: since Jackson became the full-time starter in 2019, the Ravens are a shaky 6-11 in games he’s missed. That record tells you everything about what he means to that squad.
After this Sunday’s game in Atlanta, the Ravens are staring down the barrel of two tough divisional matchups in Weeks 6 and 7 against the Cleveland Browns and the Cincinnati Bengals. Their bye week isn’t until Week 13, meaning they’ve got a long haul ahead of them. This stretch without their MVP is going to be a true test of their depth and resilience.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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