OWINGS MILLS, Md. — The Ravens welcomed multiple players back to practice Wednesday, but a major question remains ahead of their first divisional game of the season: Who will start at quarterback against the Cleveland Browns?
Lamar Jackson, who usually speaks with reporters before Wednesday practice, did not do so this week and was not on the field during the portion of practice open to the media. He ultimately did not practice.
If Jackson is unable to play Sunday, Tyler Huntley would be in line to make his second start of the season after a strong performance against the Atlanta Falcons.
But even if Jackson misses practice for the second consecutive week, Ravens head coach Jesse Minter said that does not necessarily mean the quarterback will be unavailable against Cleveland.
“There is a level of player that is able to do that, and he certainly falls into that category,” Minter said.
Minter described Jackson’s status as day-to-day.
“It's definitely day-to-day. I think a lot of times when those things, right when they happen, you're not sure, and as you gather information, you look at stuff,” Minter said. “But again, to Lamar's credit, he's working his butt off. He's doing everything he can to be out here, and when he's able to be, then he will.”
There was encouraging news elsewhere on the Ravens’ roster.
Rookie wide receiver Ja’Kobi Lane returned to practice after the Ravens activated him from injured reserve. A fractured wrist had sidelined Lane for the previous four games.
Center Cam Jurgens, acquired from the Philadelphia Eagles last week, also made his Ravens practice debut. Jurgens wore a red non-contact jersey and watched team drills from the side at the beginning of practice.
It remains unclear whether Jurgens will play Sunday, but his new teammates are already excited about what he could add to the offensive line.
“He's been to the top. He's been on one of the most dominant offensive lines to be in the NFL,” Ravens right tackle Roger Rosengarten said. “He was the head of that ship at center, so he's tasted what a Super Bowl feels like, and just him and his leadership and what he brings to the table for us, I'm super excited about.”
The Ravens will travel to Cleveland for their first divisional game of the season. The matchup will also reunite Baltimore with former offensive coordinator Todd Monken, who spent the previous three seasons with the Ravens and is now Cleveland’s head coach.
Baltimore’s players, however, said that familiarity will not change their approach.
“I'm pretty sure Todd Monken is not worried about Rashod Bateman or what he's done in Baltimore,” Ravens wide receiver Rashod Bateman said. “He's worried about getting the Cleveland Browns right to beat us. So I think for both sides, respect is mutual, and both teams understand that we're just going to play our game.”
Minter told the Ravens that earning a divisional victory is sort of like getting a win and a half because of the importance of those games.
Getting players such as Jurgens, Lane and Trey Hendrickson back on the practice field gives Baltimore a boost entering the matchup. But Jackson’s availability remains the biggest variable in projecting what the Ravens will look like Sunday in Cleveland.
