Ravens head coach Jesse Minter confirmed on Friday that the team expects Lamar Jackson to start Sunday in Buffalo after a third-straight full day of practice and sounded hopeful that the two-time MVP will be able to utilize his legs as much as possible.

Jackson, who said the pain has subsided to a large degree, returned to practice on Wednesday, able to put in a full day of work for the first time since suffering the ankle injury. And he has continued to do more since. Snoop Huntley had served as the backup in that stretch during which the Ravens fell to 4-3 after losing consecutive games to AFC North teams in which they blew a double-digit lead. The team’s hope is that the rest and recovery have put Jackson in a position in which he will not be compromised by the ankle injury; given how bad the offensive line has been much of this season, that’s hugely important.

“I think he’ll look like Lamar Jackson,” Minter said after Friday’s practice. “He’s just done such a good job dealing with the injury … Now he’ll be in a position to play Lamar Jackson football.”

Jackson said the pain in his ankle is “bearable” and thus he can play: “I feel like I’m no longer a statue. I’m able to move around a little better. It’s time to give it a shot.”

No More Setbacks

Jackson said swelling in the ankle last weekend, after limited practices, precluded him from playing in Week 7.

Jackson suffered the ankle injury at the end of the first half in Week 4, trying to escape a sack, when he was caught from behind and his left ankle twisted in an extreme manner. Jackson made it clear he was told it was a high-ankle sprain which he called “very, very painful” when he met the media for the first time since the injury last Friday.

The Ravens insisted on having the rookie head coach refer to it as “day-to-day,” relentlessly, even through two straight weeks of Jackson doing nothing or next-to-nothing on the practice field. That only heightened the scrutiny around the situation, leading to some suggesting perhaps he could have returned sooner (and several prominent national reporters were pushing that narrative, leaving one to wonder who they were getting that directive from, because it clearly wasn’t Jackson).

“Why would you second guess me?” Jackson said Friday. “Why would you second guess me.”

Indeed.

Then again not much with Jackson is normal, especially in regards to general manager Eric DeCosta. Having him on a non-exclusive franchise tag at the end of his rookie deal and making him play out that first contract; opining after Buffalo’s Josh Allen got a new deal in March of 2025 that he didn’t have much contract work of his own to tend to do. And now Jackson has reached a point with this failing front office where he will be able to act as a de-facto free agent as soon as this season ends.

It’s always weird with this sophomoric GM and the greatest thing that has happened to this franchise, arguably, ever, from a personnel standpoint (a QB this transformational at the end of the first round?). Now they need Jackson to prop up a roster with massive warts and major holes – same as ever, especially a secondary that DeCosta likes to pretend is his strength. Now Jackson has to try to right another season spiraling amid pleas from an overmatched coaching staff for someone to be a leader.

Rookie offensive coordinator Declan Doyle, who now sounds like he wants to script the entire game beforehand (how long before he’s back on the sidelines calling plays?), had better be willing to activate Jackson’s legs more than he has to this point; the traditional run game with Derrick Henry is a joke behind another DeCosta offensive line, and they need to attack the perimeter with speed as much as possible.

A third straight loss, with a quick turnaround against Jacksonville on Thursday, could send a season teetering on the brink right over the ledge.

 “The sense of urgency is extremely high,” Jackson said of a critical game with the Bills.

“I think we’ll see a great version of Lamar,” Minter said.

He’d better. He’ll need it.

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