The Baltimore Ravens saw their two-time MVP quarterback, Lamar Jackson, go down with a hamstring injury in Week 4 against the Kansas City Chiefs. It appeared the injury occurred in the third quarter when Jackson was sacked by Chiefs’ defensive end George Karlaftis.
Jackson did not return to action in that matchup, and although many speculated that it was due to the game being a blowout, Head Coach John Harbaugh assured everyone that if Jackson could have gotten back out there, he would have.
"There was no way Lamar was going back into the game. The injury precluded it." pic.twitter.com/N7Al4op7Gp
— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) September 29, 2025
Harbaugh did not provide any updates regarding Jackson’s status moving forward. However, recent reports from ESPN’s Adam Schefter and The Baltimore Sun’s Brian Wacker expect Jackson to miss the team’s Week 5 game against the Houston Texans. The situation would put backup quarterback Cooper Rush in line to start on Sunday.
Harbaugh is confident in Rush and the others who must step up in the absence of Baltimore’s injured starters. On Monday, he briefly talked about the possibility of Rush starting and what to expect if he is out there.
“Cooper [Rush], you’ve seen him play, so everyone knows what his game is,” Harbaugh said. “If he’s out there, [the game] will be geared toward him. We got a good group around him. We got a lot of playmakers around him if he’s playing…We can win games with our guys. Everyone gets injuries, and it’s who deals with them the best.”
Cooper Rush expected to start in Week 5
Rush is capable of taking starting reps. The 31-year-old is 9-5 as a starter in his career. He went 4-1 with the Dallas Cowboys in 2022 and 4-4 last year. He has the experience taking over as signal caller for teams looking to contend, and he is poised to prove it against a struggling Houston team.
The Texans do possess a stingy pass defense. They rank seventh in the league in pass yards given up with 713, but their run defense ranks closer to average in 12th with 102.3 rush yards given up per game. The good news for Rush and Baltimore is that Houston’s offense is the fourth-lowest scoring group in football, with 64 points. They also have just three takeaways through four games.
If Rush can keep the football out of trouble and let the running game go to work, the Ravens should have a favorable chance at winning the game. If they do see their defense allowing Houston’s offense to find a rhythm, Rush has shown the ability to keep up with his arm. In 2024, he completed 60.7 percent of his passes for 1,844 yards and 12 touchdowns.
Baltimore should not be asking too much of Rush. They need to let running back Derrick Henry and the rushing attack get back on the right track and find a way for their receivers to make plays. As long as he keeps the ball out of harm’s way, Rush should be able to keep the team in contention on Sunday.