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Jamison Hensley
OWINGS MILLS, Md. — In a surprise development, quarterback Lamar Jackson was a full participant in Friday’s practice, giving the struggling Baltimore Ravens some hope that the two-time NFL Most Valuable Player will return for Sunday’s pivotal game against the Chicago Bears.
Ravens coach John Harbaugh declined to say whether Jackson would start Sunday.
“We’ll see where we’re at going forward,” he said.
Jackson is expected to be listed as questionable on the injury report with a right hamstring injury. Harbaugh wouldn’t elaborate on Jackson’s status and wouldn’t describe how Jackson looked at practice.
“I just think we’re going to talk about it as we go and figure out what we got to do to try to win the game,” Harbaugh said. “I mean, that’s really what we’re going to try to do. What’s our best opportunity to win the football game on Sunday? Where does everybody stand? Including No. 8 [Jackson].”
Jackson was limited in practice Wednesday and Thursday with a hamstring injury that had sidelined him for the past two games. He was taking reps behind backup quarterbacks Tyler Huntley and Cooper Rushwhich suggested he might not be ready to play this week.
Now, after his most extensive work since injuring his hamstring 26 days ago, there’s a chance that Jackson could be back at a time when the Ravens need him the most. Baltimore has lost four straight games to fall to 1-5, which ties the worst start in franchise’s 30-year history.
“He’s such an incredible player and leader of the team,” Ravens tight end Mark Andrews said. “It would be an incredibly big spark.”
Jackson was not made available to reporters on Friday.
If Jackson is unable to play, Harbaugh said Huntley would start against the Bears. Huntley would get the nod over Rush, who flopped in two starts with no touchdown passes and five turnovers.
In his five seasons with Baltimore, Huntley is 3-7, including the playoffs, as a fill-in starter for Jackson, throwing seven touchdowns and seven interceptions.
Asked if he was preparing to start Sunday, Huntley said, “I always prepare to start. I’m treating this like every week.”
The Ravens are a different team with Jackson’s big-play ability. Since 2018, Baltimore is 74-32 (.698), including playoffs, with Jackson as its starting quarterback. Without Jackson over that span, the Ravens are 4-12 (.250), losing six straight times.
This season, Baltimore has averaged 32.8 points in Jackson’s four starts. In two games without him, the Ravens have averaged 6.5 points.
Jackson, 28, left in the third quarter of a 37-20 loss at the Kansas City Chiefs on Sept. 28. Last week, Harbaugh said the hope was for Jackson to return after the bye. But, on Monday, Jackson was absent from Baltimore’s first practice after the break, which created uncertainty about when the four-time Pro Bowler would come back.
On Friday, Jackson practiced fully, which became the strongest indication that he would play Sunday. Before he was injured, Jackson led the NFL with a 130.5 passer rating, throwing 10 touchdowns and one interception.
In his eight-year career, Jackson is 2-0 in his first game back after being sidelined.
“He’s getting back into the swing of things,” Huntley said when asked about Jackson’s practice. “He looked good.”
