OWINGS MILLS, Md. — The Ravens say they’re “taking it day by day through the week” with two-time MVP quarterback Lamar Jackson’s hamstring injury ahead of Sunday’s home tilt with Houston.
It’s certainly not a position in which a reeling 1-3 team wants to be, especially with Jackson being just one of eight players from the 53-man roster to sit out Wednesday’s practice. That list also included left tackle Ronnie Stanley (ankle), inside linebacker Roquan Smith (hamstring), and cornerbacks Marlon Humphrey (calf), Nate Wiggins (elbow), and Chidobe Awuzie (hamstring). Smith and Humphrey aren’t expected to play this week after exiting last Sunday’s loss in Kansas City, according to NFL Network.
With Jackson facing the possibility of missing his first game due to injury since the end of the 2022 season, veteran backup quarterback Cooper Rush is preparing to start against a tough Texans defense coming off a shutout win over Tennessee last Sunday. That could also mean the practice-squad elevation of Tyler Huntley, who started 10 games in place of Jackson from 2021-23. The Ravens signed Rush in mid-March after he served as the longtime backup to Dak Prescott in Dallas, going 9-5 in 14 starts from 2021-24.
“Cooper is experienced. He’s been in these situations before — as has Tyler — and he’s up to speed,” head coach John Harbaugh said. “He’s been with us all the way back to the beginning [of spring workouts]. He’s been in every practice, every meeting. He knows the offense, and he’ll be ready to go.”
The Ravens have gone just 4-10 in games Jackson has missed dating back to 2019, which include two regular-season finales he sat out after playoff positioning had already been determined and the 2022 wild-card playoff loss to Cincinnati. But this is the exact scenario why the Ravens signed Rush in hopes that he’d be able to help them win a game or two over a potential short-term absence for Jackson. Of course, that’s become a more daunting challenge with Baltimore bracing to be down multiple defensive starters in Week 5.
Adding to the concern was the unexpected appearance of safety Kyle Hamilton (groin) and center Tyler Linderbaum (calf) on Wednesday’s injury report as limited participants, which sometimes indicates an issue popping up during practice. Earlier this week, the Ravens announced two-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike would miss the remainder of the season due to a neck injury.
Suffice to say, it’s not an easy task to prepare when dealing with so much injury uncertainty, especially on the defensive side of the ball. The Ravens are off to their first 1-3 start since 2015 and can hardly afford to suffer a third straight loss before the 3-1 Los Angeles Rams come to Baltimore next week.
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“It’s a challenge for sure, but it’s a challenge to put it together every week,” said Harbaugh about this week’s game plan. “It’s a challenge to put together when you have a totally healthy 53. It’s always a challenge. I think coaches do a great job. We have really good game-planners. I really love the process that the guys go through, and we’re going to have a really good game plan. Now, let’s go out and execute it, and let’s do our best to win this very important game.”
After missing the entire offseason and the first four games of the season while recovering from shoulder surgery, third-round rookie offensive tackle Emery Jones made his practice debut on Wednesday. The LSU product is expected to need the full ramp-up afforded by a 21-day practice window before moving from the non-football injury list to the 53-man roster and fitting into the offensive line mix.
Despite being a disappointing 1-3 themselves, the Texans are in a much better place from a health standpoint with just one starter sitting out practice because of an injury issue. Pro Bowl cornerback Derek Stingley continues to manage an oblique injury originally sustained in Week 1, but he logged only one limited practice last week before playing all but three defensive snaps and registering an interception in their blowout win over the Titans in Week 4.
Below is Wednesday’s full injury report:
BALTIMORE
DID NOT PARTICIPATE: CB Chidobe Awuzie (hamstring), CB Marlon Humphrey (calf), QB Lamar Jackson (hamstring), FB Patrick Ricard (calf), ILB Roquan Smith (hamstring), OT Ronnie Stanley (ankle), WR Devontez Walker (oblique), CB Nate Wiggins (elbow)
LIMITED PARTICIPATION: S Kyle Hamilton (groin), OT Emery Jones (shoulder), NT Travis Jones (knee), C Tyler Linderbaum (calf), DE Brent Urban (finger), OLB Kyle Van Noy (hamstring)
HOUSTON
DID NOT PARTICIPATE: DE Will Anderson (rest), DT Folorunso Fatukasi (shoulder), CB Derek Stingley (oblique)
LIMITED PARTICIPATION: DE Denico Autry (knee), TE Harrison Bryant (shoulder), WR Nico Collins (knee), S Jaylen Reed (knee)
