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Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson missed his 11th straight day of practice Thursday, casting further doubt on his availability for Sunday’s game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
A knee injury has sidelined Jackson since the Ravens’ Week 13 win over the Denver Broncos. Coach John Harbaugh declined after Wednesday’s practice to comment on the nature of his injury — “We’re just coaching the guys out here right now,” he said — but offensive coordinator Greg Roman said Thursday that Jackson is “doing good.”
“He’s working hard, getting his rehab done,” he said. “The way we feel, the sooner we can get him back, the better, especially heading into the playoffs. Love to get some work in before then. But you can’t rush Mother Nature, and we’ve got to make sure he’s right at the same time. … You don’t blink. You just keep moving and try to get him out there as soon as we can.”
Roman said Jackson is “definitely engaged” in meetings, as he’s offered insights to the team’s reserve quarterbacks. Tight end Mark Andrews, a close friend of Jackson’s, said after practice Thursday that he’s “doing everything right, doing things the right way.”
“We’ve been able to go 3-1 [since Jackson’s injury], so I’m sure Lamar, in his own way, is really contributing to that,” Roman said. “I think he’s a great teammate to those guys. They take a lot of pride with each other and they root for each other.”
Tyler Huntley is in line to make his fourth straight start in Sunday’s prime-time matchup. He made his first start of the season against the Steelers in Week 14, going 8-for-12 for 88 yards and rushing nine times for 31 yards before a third-quarter hit knocked him into concussion protocol. The Ravens ultimately won in Pittsburgh, 16-14, led by their rushing attack, defense and special teams.
A home win over the Steelers would force a winner-take-all Week 18 matchup with the Cincinnati Bengals, who lead the AFC North by a game. A loss, meanwhile, would hurt the Ravens’ place in the AFC’s wild-card race.
Defensive lineman Calais Campbell and cornerback Marcus Peters, who were hurt in the Ravens’ Week 15 loss to the Cleveland Browns and sat out Saturday’s win over the Atlanta Falcons, remained out Thursday. Safety Geno Stone (hamstring), who was limited Wednesday, missed practice as well.
On offense, the Ravens were without running back J.K. Dobbins (rest), tight end Nick Boyle (illness) and center Trystan Colon, who missed his second straight practice for personal reasons. Wide receiver Demarcus Robinson was sidelined by a groin injury, though he was on hand for a portion of practice open to reporters.
Wide receiver DeSean Jackson and outside linebacker Jason Pierre-Paul, who missed practice Wednesday with illnesses, were back as full participants Thursday. Left tackle Ronnie Stanley (rest) was limited for the second straight day.
Steelers starting defensive end Larry Ogunjobi (toe/personal) and reserve defensive back Tre Norwood (hamstring) missed their second straight practice Thursday. Starting inside linebacker Myles Jack (groin/personal) was limited after missing practice Wednesday.
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