Cam Jurgens is set to make his Baltimore Ravens debut on Sunday. He was a full participant in practice all week, cleared concussion protocol, and didn’t have a game-status designation — he’s ready to play.
While Baltimore is new ground for him, he’ll be thrown into the fire immediately against a familiar nemesis. He’ll be lining up across from the Cincinnati Bengals’ defensive line, and right in the middle is an old rival: Dexter Lawrence.
Jurgens and Lawrence squared off several times in the NFC East, when Jurgens played for the Philadelphia Eagles and Lawrence played for the New York Giants. Now, they’re taking that rivalry to the AFC North.
Cam Jurgens’ Baltimore Ravens career starts with Dexter Lawrence-sized test
When you’re a center, it doesn’t get much tougher than facing Dexter Lawrence. He’s a star nose tackle who can do plenty of damage on pass-rush downs. That’s evident with his 33.5 career sacks and a blistering start to 2026 with 3 sacks and 19 pressures.
Cam Jurgens will have his work cut out for him. However, it’s nothing he’s not used to. He understands the nuances of blocking Lawrence more than almost any center in the league. The two had some great battles in the NFC East.
Week 7 will mark the fifth time Jurgens and Lawrence have faced. They matched up twice in 2023, once in 2024, and once in 2025. In those meetings, Lawrence has tallied 2 sacks, but both came in their lone 2024 battle — he was held without a sack in the other three games.
Obviously there’s more than just sacks to Lawrence’s game, though. He’s a space eater and run-game dominator. That’ll be a pivotal area for Jurgens to win in.
Regardless of whether Lamar Jackson or Tyler Huntley starts, the Ravens must lean on the rushing attack. Jackson probably won’t be 100%, and Huntley isn’t a game-changer. Derrick Henry needs to take advantage of a Bengals run defense that’s struggled in recent weeks.
But it’ll be a major struggle if Jurgens doesn’t handle Lawrence up front — Lawrence can be a one-man wrecking crew. Cincinnati traded the No. 10 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft for Lawrence for a reason.
Jurgens also has a disadvantage because of his smaller frame. He’s a 6-foot-3, 303-pound center, while Lawrence is a 6-foot-5, 350-pound defensive tackle. Lawrence has a massive size and power advantage, while Jurgens’ game surrounds athleticism and lateral agility.
Jurgens must use his finesse to his advantage and get his spot before Lawrence can react. And to keep the offensive line firing on all cylinders, the Ravens will also have to rely on double teams to keep Lawrence at bay.
Baltimore has expressed plenty of confidence in Jurgens since acquiring him. On Friday, Huntley gave the 27-year-old a vote of confidence.
“He does a great job,” Huntley said. “Even when he’s not in, or he’s just taking his break, he’s in the back asking what’s the play and working through his calls, and when he gets back in, he’s amazing.”
And Jurgens has had a golden opportunity to catch up with the playbook. Since arriving in Charm City, he’s missed two games, and he’s used that to study and understand what this offense needs from him. With that extra boost, he should be in a pretty comfortable spot against Cincinnati.
Add us as a preferred source on Google