OWINGS MILLS, Md. — What was feared all week became official Friday with the Ravens ruling out two-time MVP quarterback Lamar Jackson for their Week 5 meeting with Houston.
Already reeling from its first 1-3 start since 2015 and desperately needing a win, Baltimore will be without Jackson because of injury for the first time since the end of the 2022 season. The 28-year-old exited last Sunday’s loss in Kansas City late in the third quarter after limping off the field with a hamstring strain. Jackson was unable to practice throughout the week as 31-year-old quarterback Cooper Rush will now make his 15th career NFL start and first for the Ravens after previously serving as the longtime backup to Dak Prescott in Dallas.
Rush went 9-5 in starts for the Cowboys from 2021-24, which included a 4-4 mark last season. Including the postseason, the Ravens have gone just 4-10 in games Jackson has missed going back to 2019.
“I’ve kind of been here before. Whenever a franchise QB goes down, it’s always a ‘sky is falling’ feeling everywhere you are,” Rush said. “It’s normal. If you have to go out there on Sunday and do what you have to do, it’s nice knowing you had a whole week to prep for it, so things like that are good.”
Being without the transcendent Jackson is bad enough, but the Ravens also ruled out three defensive starters against the Texans: inside linebacker Roquan Smith (hamstring) and cornerbacks Marlon Humphrey (calf) and Chidobe Awuzie (hamstring). Star safety Kyle Hamilton (groin) and outside linebacker Odafe Oweh (eye) were designated as questionable to play in Week 5 after both missed practice on Friday.
Not only will a struggling Baltimore defense be without the usual man who relays the calls in the defensive huddle in Smith, but Hamilton is the backup for that job, which leads to real questions about who would handle those responsibilities if the latter also misses Sunday’s game. It’s just concern problem for a struggling Ravens defense that was already enduring communication problems and ranking at or near the bottom of the NFL in most statistical categories through Week 4.
It was initially thought that Hamilton hurt his groin during Wednesday’s practice since he was a limited participant that day before sitting out workouts on Thursday and Friday, but head coach John Harbaugh said the injury was “something that happened during the game that got carried over a little bit.” The Ravens are holding out hope that the two-time Pro Bowl saftey will still be able to suit up and wear the “green-dot” communication helmet against the Texans.
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“It’s going to be somebody that hasn’t done it [regularly],” said Harbaugh about the relaying of the defensive calls. “Kyle has done it, [and] he does a great job with it. If for some reason it’s not Kyle, then it’s going to have to be somebody else. It’ll be new for that person really. But I am confident. We practice it. We’ve practiced it all week. Those guys are pros, and they know the defense inside and out.”
After playing in only the first two offensive drives against Kansas City before leaving with a bothersome ankle injury, left tackle Ronnie Stanley was listed as questionable after logging limited practices on Thursday and Friday. Veteran Joseph Noteboom filled in for Stanley at left tackle against the Chiefs.
In more encouraging news for the injury-ravaged Ravens, outside linebacker Kyle Van Noy (hamstring) and defensive tackle Travis Jones (knee) do not carry game status designations and will return to game action against the Texans. Van Noy missed the last two games while Jones was inactive against Kansas City last week.
Cornerback Nate Wiggins (elbow) is also expected to play despite being carted from the sideline to the locker room late in last Sunday’s loss. Center Tyler Linderbaum is also set to play despite dealing with a calf issue during the practice week.
As expected, five-time Pro Bowl fullback Patrick Ricard (calf) and rookie offensive tackle Emery Jones Jr. (shoulder) were ruled out Friday. Ricard continues to rehab a calf injury originally suffered in mid-August. A third-round pick out of LSU, Jones was designated to return to practice from the non-football injury list only this week after missing the entire spring and summer while recovering from offseason shoulder surgery.
The Texans ruled out only one player from their 53-man roster after reserve defensive tackle Folorunso Fatukasi missed the entire practice week with a shoulder injury. Defensive end Denico Autry (knee) and safety Jaylen Reed (knee) were declared out after being designated to return to practice from reserve lists earlier this week.
Below is the final injury report for Week 5:
BALTIMORE
OUT: CB Chidobe Awuzie (hamstring), CB Marlon Humphrey (calf), QB Lamar Jackson (hamstring), OT Emery Jones Jr. (shoulder), FB Patrick Ricard (calf), ILB Roquan Smith (hamstring)
QUESTIONABLE: S Kyle Hamilton (groin), OLB Odafe Oweh (eye), OT Ronnie Stanley (ankle), WR Devontez Walker (oblique)
HOUSTON
OUT: DE Denico Autry (knee), DT Folorunso Fatukasi (shoulder), S Jaylen Reed (knee)
