NFL2026-10-21Lamar Jackson's Ankle Faces Its Practice Test as the Ravens Prepare for Joe Burrow and the Bengals
By Verdexed NFL Desk
Lamar Jackson's left ankle is back on the clock. The Baltimore Ravens open Week 7 practice on Wednesday ahead of Sunday's 1 p.m. ET home game against the Cincinnati Bengals, and head coach Jesse Minter said Monday that his quarterback could potentially practice this week. Minter still described Jackson as day-to-day and said the team would know a lot more on Wednesday.
That makes Wednesday's participation report the most important data point of the week for the AFC North. Jackson has not practiced in any form since spraining the ankle in the Oct. 4 win over Tennessee, and he has been inactive for both games since. Tyler Huntley started both, splitting them: a 30-23 overtime win in Atlanta and a 13-10 loss in Cleveland that dropped the Ravens to 4-2 and handed the Browns first place on the head-to-head tiebreaker.
Where Jackson stands
The signals this week are more hopeful than they were before the Atlanta and Cleveland games, but they are not conclusive. NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported there is more hope this week than last that Jackson practices and potentially plays. A Sports Illustrated analysis struck a more skeptical note, observing that Minter's tone sounded much like it did in the two prior weeks, when Jackson never made it onto the practice field.
| Date | Jackson status |
|---|---|
| Oct. 4 | Sprains left ankle in win over Tennessee |
| Week 5 | Did not practice; inactive; Huntley starts 30-23 OT win at Atlanta |
| Week 6 | Did not practice; ruled out Friday; Huntley starts 13-10 loss at Cleveland |
| Oct. 19 | Minter: day-to-day, could potentially practice this week |
| Oct. 21 | First Week 7 practice |
How to read the report: a limited session on Wednesday would be the first real step and would make Jackson a legitimate game-time candidate. A second straight week of no practice on Wednesday and Thursday would point toward a third Huntley start. Teams often hold quarterbacks to limited work early in the week, so a limited tag is not a warning sign on its own. What matters is the trend from Wednesday to Friday.
The Huntley contingency
If Jackson cannot go, the Ravens know exactly what they have. Huntley has been competent but conservative, and the two games show both sides of that profile.
| Huntley start | Passing | Rushing | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Week 5 at Atlanta | 24 of 32, 201 yards, 2 TD | Rushing TD, plus OT winner | W 30-23 (OT) |
| Week 6 at Cleveland | 19 of 31, 165 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT | 5 carries, 28 yards | L 13-10 |
Against Atlanta, Huntley completed his final 11 throws, including the drive that tied the game late in regulation, and finished the overtime drive with a 1-yard run. Against Cleveland, Baltimore scored on its first two possessions and then went scoreless. Huntley was sacked three times, Tyler Loop missed a 49-yard field goal and a Derrick Henry fourth-quarter fumble turned into the Browns' tying touchdown. That is the risk of a Huntley offense: it can protect a lead, but it struggles to extend one.
Cincinnati comes in rested
The Bengals arrive off their bye at 3-2 after a 31-24 win in Miami on Oct. 11. Joe Burrow played in that game and is not listed among the Bengals' recent injuries in any report Verdexed found, so he is expected to start Sunday barring news this week. Burrow said after the Miami win that the team has to be better, and Zac Taylor was openly frustrated by red-zone fumbles, personal fouls and more than 200 rushing yards allowed.
The bye mattered for Cincinnati's receivers. Ja'Marr Chase had been in the concussion protocol before clearing midweek ahead of Miami, and Tee Higgins played through groin and neck injuries dating to the Oct. 4 game against Jacksonville. Both played against the Dolphins but were described as less than 100 percent. Tight end Tanner Hudson reportedly suffered a torn pectoral in that game, per his agent, and is expected to miss the rest of the season. The Bengals' first Week 7 injury report will show whether the bye cleared up the receiver issues.
Fantasy fallout
Lamar Jackson: If he practices fully by Friday, start him. Even a slightly limited Jackson brings a rushing floor that few quarterbacks match, and this game carries one of the higher totals on the Week 7 board. If he is listed as questionable after limited sessions, the 1 p.m. kickoff means managers must decide before the late games, so have a fallback from the 4 p.m. window ready.
Derrick Henry: The volume holds either way. He ran 24 times for 102 yards and caught a touchdown in Atlanta, then 17 times for 58 yards with a lost fumble in Cleveland. He is a low-end RB1 with Huntley and moves back toward the top of the position with Jackson, whose presence pulls defenders away from the box.
Zay Flowers: He caught six of 11 targets for 66 yards against Cleveland and leads the team in targets with Huntley under center. He is a WR2 with Jackson and a volume-based WR3 without him. Rashod Bateman left the Cleveland game with a shoulder injury, which could concentrate targets further.
Mark Andrews: One catch on three targets for 4 yards at Cleveland. Rookie Josh Cuevas caught four of five targets for 44 yards and his first career touchdown. Andrews is the tight end whose value depends most on Jackson's return, since Huntley's offense avoids the intermediate throws where Andrews wins.
Bengals pass catchers: Start Chase and Higgins if both practice without restrictions. Burrow is a QB1 in a game that sportsbooks expect to be competitive and high scoring.
The betting angle
Books have treated this as a near-coin-flip all week. Early numbers had Baltimore favored by 2.5 to 3 points with a total between 50.5 and 51.5 at most major books, per an Oct. 19 odds roundup, and some later snapshots showed the spread stretching to 3.5 at certain books. A line that short at home suggests the market has priced in meaningful uncertainty about Jackson. If he practices fully, expect the Ravens' number to move toward a stronger favorite. If Huntley starts, expect it to drift toward Cincinnati and the total to come down, given how the Ravens' offense stalled in Cleveland.
The Verdexed read: the bigger swing is on the total, not the side. A Jackson-led offense against a Bengals defense that gave up more than 200 rushing yards to Miami is a very different game environment from a Huntley offense that managed 10 points against Cleveland. Bettors should wait for the Friday designation before committing to either number. Verdexed's full game view is at /nfl/predictions, and the Week 7 slate breakdown is at /blog/nfl-week-7-picks-2026.
What's next
Wednesday's report opens the week, Thursday shows the trend and Friday brings the official game designation. Watch for three outcomes. Full participation by Friday means Jackson starts and the Ravens' passing game returns to lineups. Limited work all week with a questionable tag makes Jackson a true game-time decision for a 1 p.m. kickoff. No practice again means Huntley starts a third straight game, Henry becomes the focal point and the Bengals' side of the matchup gets more attractive. On Cincinnati's side, Chase and Higgins' practice status after the bye is the other variable to track.