OWINGS MILLS, Md. — Exactly one month after injuring his hamstring in a Week 4 loss at Kansas City, Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson deemed himself “ready to go” after a three-game absence.
The two-time NFL MVP practiced fully Tuesday and will start in Miami on Thursday night, which will mark his first action since Sept. 28. And after snapping a four-game losing streak to improve to 2-5 this past Sunday, the Ravens will have a chance on a national TV stage to show the football world that they’re back after matching the worst start in franchise history through six games.
“I’m extremely excited,” said Jackson, who hadn’t missed games due to injury since the end of the 2022 season. “I can’t wait to touch the grass with my guys, man. It’s been a while.”
It certainly has with the Ravens scoring a total of just 13 points in two lopsided losses with Cooper Rush at the helm before entering their bye and handing the starting reins to Tyler Huntley, who played very well in the 30-16 win over Chicago as Jackson began ramping up in limited practice work last week.
Jackson called the last month “very challenging” as he missed action because of injury for the first time since a knee injury cost him the final six games of the 2022 campaign. But with so much season remaining, the 28-year-old understood he needed to be patient even as Baltimore’s record plummeted
“You don’t want to rush a hamstring injury and make it worse, and then you’re out for the whole season,” Jackson said. “I feel like hamstring injuries can be tricky. This was my first time having one, and I thought I’d be able to move sometimes, and then I would feel a little tug early on when I was rehabbing.”
While practices have been lighter to get ready to play the Dolphins on a short week, the last two days have marked the first time all season that the entire 53-man roster has been on the practice field.
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A Pompano Beach native, Jackson isn’t anticipating any rust or difficulty getting back into a rhythm as he plays in South Florida for the third time in his NFL career.
“That’s what practice is for,” Jackson said. “I was practicing with my guys today, and I felt like we had a great day today. We’re going to execute tomorrow, and then come Thursday night, we’ll just fly.”
Left tackle Ronnie Stanley (ankle) was the only Baltimore player not to practice fully on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, the Dolphins conducted a walk-through for the second straight day with starting safety Ashtyn Davis (quad) and starting tight end Julian Hill (ankle) being the only players listed as non-participants.
Below is Tuesday’s full injury report:
BALTIMORE
LIMITED PARTICIPATION: OT Ronnie Stanley (ankle)
FULL PARTICIPATION: ILB Teddye Buchanan (calf), QB Lamar Jackson (hamstring), CB T.J. Tampa (shoulder), CB Nate Wiggins (groin)
MIAMI
DID NOT PARTICIPATE: S Ashtyn Davis (quadricep), TE Julian Hill (ankle)
LIMITED PARTICIPATION: LB Bradley Chubb (shoulder/foot), WR Dee Eskridge (shoulder), S Ifeatu Melifonwu (thumb)
FULL PARTICIPATION: DB Elijah Campbell (quadricep), S Minkah Fitzpatrick (thumb), FB Alec Ingold (neck), CB Jason Marshall (hamstring), QB Tua Tagovailoa (left thumb/illness), S Dante Trader (shoulder), WR Malik Washington (knee)
