Lamar Jackson is expected to return in Week 8. He’s back. The Baltimore Ravens superstar quarterback returned as a full participant in practice this week, and Jesse Minter announced he expects Jackson to start on Sunday.
“We do think we’ll have Lamar this week,” Minter said. “He’s had a really good week of practice … Credit to him and the work that he put in, dealing with an injury, put himself in a position to be back.”
After practice, Jackson mentioned he still has some pain in his left ankle, but it’s not overwhelming. He’s healthy enough and should look like himself again.
Lamar Jackson said he still feels pain in his ankle but he calls it “bearable.”
— Jeff Zrebiec (@jeffzrebiec) October 30, 2026
“I’m out there playing football. I can’t think about my movements in the pocket or anything. I’m out there trying to win.” pic.twitter.com/ug8h8XWtcn
Jackson’s return comes at a crucial time. Baltimore is on a two-game losing streak and will face the Buffalo Bills this weekend. It’s the team’s toughest matchup of the year thus far, but with Jackson on the field, he gives them a much-needed lifeline.
Baltimore Ravens get Lamar Jackson just in time to face the Buffalo Bills
Entering Week 8, the Ravens are 4-3. It’s not awful, and they’ve worked themselves out of a deeper hole before. However, it might feel like the sky is falling to some fans.
Baltimore is last in the AFC North, 0-2 in division play, and has the ninth-toughest remaining schedule. Dropping to 4-4 in a loaded AFC North would be brutal.
Pair that with some discouraging play over the past two games, and the urgency to bounce back is high. Lamar Jackson knows that.
“Sense of urgency is extremely high,” Jackson said. “It didn’t go the way we wanted it to last week. Guys are just hitting the ground running; just trying to get back where we should be.”
Safe to say, the Ravens couldn’t go much longer without Jackson under center. While Tyler Huntley can win a game or two, he won’t outduel the best teams in the NFL. And that’s exactly what the Bills are.
Buffalo is tied for the third-best record in the league at 5-1, and although the defense is bottom-three, the offense scores the most points per game at 32.8.
Obviously, Jackson has the talent to keep up and give Baltimore a great chance of coming out with the W in this one. It’s not just that talent, though. It’s his gravity.
Whenever Jackson is on the field, defenses are forced to respect the pass and run evenly. The two-time MVP is an elite passer, and you don’t need me to tell you he’s the greatest dual-threat quarterback of all time.
With that, secondaries have to maintain leverage over the top — you can’t stack the box like you can against Huntley. In the same breath, you must be ready for the run at all times, and Jackson’s ability to keep plays alive always throws defenses for a loop. He’s looking like a dangerous rushing threat again, too.
That should free the passing and running games from their slumps. Derrick Henry has had very little room to operate in the last two games, and outside Zay Flowers, the passing attack hasn’t found many explosive plays. Jackson’s presence should fix that.
Simply put, Baltimore needed Jackson if they wanted a shot at outscoring Josh Allen and that fearsome unit. It’ll be two of the greatest quarterbacks of this generation going head-to-head. Allen currently has the upper hand in their matchups at 4-3. Hopefully Jackson can even that up.
The battle could be one of the best 1 p.m. games we watch all season.
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