Lamar Jackson practices fully as Ravens assess his return for Bills game
The quarterback’s full participation on Wednesday gave Baltimore reason for optimism, but coach Jesse Minter said the team would assess how he responds before Sunday’s game in Buffalo.
Lamar Jackson took part fully in Baltimore Ravens practice on Wednesday, October 28, after missing three games with an ankle injury, according to the Associated Press. The step raises hopes that the quarterback could return for the Ravens’ game at Buffalo on Sunday, November 1, but his participation does not settle whether he will play.
Ravens coach Jesse Minter said doing more in practice and responding well to it raised his optimism. ‘But again, we’ll kind of see how it goes throughout the week,’ he said. Baltimore still has to assess how Jackson responds before deciding whether he can take the field against the Bills.
Why Jackson’s return matters to Baltimore
The Ravens were 3-1 and led the AFC North before Jackson’s ankle injury, ESPN reported. They were 4-3 and last in the division after his absence. In his first four games this season, Jackson had rushed for 144 yards, the most among quarterbacks, and ranked third in ESPN’s QBR measure. His ability to move is therefore part of what Baltimore would need back, beyond his availability to throw passes.
Jackson said last week that he had been told he had a high ankle sprain, the AP reported. Speaking about whether he could play through pain, he said: ‘If I can just go out there and feel the pain a little bit, I can play.’ But if he could only stand in the pocket and take hits because he could not move normally, he said, that would not help his team, according to ESPN.
How past injuries shape the decision
Jackson’s experience last season offers a reason for caution. He injured a hamstring in Week 4 of 2025 and later said he regretted returning too quickly. ESPN reported that his rushing average over his final 13 games was 25 yards per game, while the AP described him as less effective on the ground after his return. ‘I feel like that was dumb a little bit,’ Jackson said last week of coming back when he did.
ESPN reported that injury has kept Jackson out of multiple games in four of his past six seasons. Since 2019, he has missed 17 games because of injury, excluding COVID and illness; ESPN counted more injury absences for Kyler Murray, Dak Prescott, Daniel Jones and Joe Burrow over that period. The comparison puts his absences in context without resolving how soon this ankle will allow him to play.
Minter said Jackson would return when the quarterback, the medical staff and the organisation felt it was best for him to play, ESPN reported. Cornerback Marlon Humphrey told the AP that Jackson would play if he was healthy enough. For now, Wednesday’s full practice gives Baltimore another measure of his recovery ahead of the trip to Buffalo.
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Sources and context
- Nothing kills the vibe in Baltimore quite like an injury to Lamar Jackson. This year is no differentAssociated Press, republished by Yahoo Sports
- Inside the complicated injury history of Ravens' Lamar JacksonESPN
AI-assisted article checked against the listed sources. NewsJaws did not conduct interviews or attend the reported events.