ClutchPoints
The Baltimore Ravens have struggled in 2025. The perennial contender has lost four straight games, falling to 1-5 on the season and last place in the AFC North. Baltimore went just 1-3 with two-time MVP Lamar Jackson on the field. So it’s not surprising that the Ravens’ slide continued with backup Cooper Rush stepping in.
After sitting out back-to-back games and having Baltimore’s Week 7 bye for extra rest, Jackson was expected to return in Week 8. However, the outlook surrounding the All-Pro passer is less certain as the original target date approaches.
Head coach John Harbaugh was, once again, evasive when asked if he anticipated Jackson practicing this week. “I think all the guys are working really hard to get back – I can tell you that. We’ll see who’s back and who practices on Wednesday. I don’t really want to comment on any individual guys per se,” Harbaugh said, per WNST Baltimore Positive’s Luke Jones.
The response is very much in line with the coach’s press conference player updates. However, Jackson missed the Ravens’ practice on Monday, leading to further concern. It was Baltimore’s first practice since returning from the bye as the team prepares to host the Chicago Bears in the midst of a four-game losing streak.
Jackson initially injured his hamstring in Week 4’s 37-20 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. If he’s forced to sit out Week 8’s contest, the injury will have sidelined him for over a month.
Despite the 1-3 record as a starter, Jackson has once again played well in 2025. His 71.6 competition percentage through four games would be a career-best mark if for a full season. He has 10 touchdown passes and only one interception in 2025.
However, Jackson is averaging just 217 passing yards per game. And the Ravens running game has struggled this season. In 2024, Baltimore finished atop the league in rushing offense, averaging 188 yards per contest. This year, the Ravens are 10th in the NFL with 126.2 rushing yards per game.
Clearly some of this is on Cooper Rush, who has played poorly in Jackson’s absence. And the Ravens’ defense, long a staple of the organization, has been a major liability in 2025. Baltimore boasts the 30th overall defense in football after the first seven games of the season.
The post John Harbaugh refuses to commit to Lamar Jackson practicing before Week 8 appeared first on ClutchPoints.
