Lamar Jackson injury: Ravens QB misses practice again, status unclear for Week 5 meeting with Texans

The Ravens' laundry list of injuries includes quarterback Lamar Jackson's, who hurt his hamstring during last Sunday's blowout loss to the Chiefs that dropped Baltimore to 1-3 on the season. 

Jackson has not practiced during Baltimore's first two practices this week, including being held out Thursday, ahead of Sunday's home game against the Houston Texans. Ravens coach John Harbaugh said Wednesday that Jackson is "working" and "doing a great job," but declined to divulge any details about his quarterback's status.  

Along with Jackson, fullback Patrick Ricard (calf), linebacker Roquan Smith (hamstring), cornerbacks Marlon Humphrey (calf) and Chidobe Awuzie (hamstring), safety Kyle Hamilton (groin) and center Tyler Linderbaum (calf) also did not practice on Thursday. Jackson was one of 14 Ravens players who appeared on Wednesday's injury report. Injuries have clearly been a significant reason for Baltimore's slow start to the 2025 season. 

Regarding Jackson, the two-time league MVP's injury is considered to be "week-to-week", according to NFL Media, although there are rumblings that Jackson may not come back until after the Ravens' Week 7 bye. Baltimore has home games against Houston and the Los Angeles Rams before going on its bye. 

NFL futures: Are the Ravens still favored to make playoffs after 1-3 start, Lamar Jackson injury?

Max Meyer

Who is the Ravens' backup quarterback?

If Jackson can't play on Sunday, Baltimore's offense will be led by veteran Cooper Rush, who replaced Jackson against the Chiefs after he sustained his injury during the third quarter. 

While they'd clearly rather have Jackson, the Ravens do have a reliable backup to turn to in Rush for however long Jackson is out. The Ravens are currently 1.5-point home underdogs (at FanDuel) to the 1-3 Texans on Sunday -- a potential signal that oddsmakers do not anticipate Jackson being available. 

The 32-year-old Rush has a 9-5 record as a starter that includes a 4-1 record for the Cowboys during the 2022 season. 

"He's the consummate pro," Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken recently said of Rush. "He was here the whole offseason. You can see why he's been successful. Has played a lot of football in this league. You forget his record as a starter is outstanding. Everybody that you spoke to in Dallas, it was glowing. He went to the Saints; Kellen Moore loved him. He's been as good as advertised."