Lamar Jackson has only an outside chance to face Falcons as ankle sprain lingers

Updated October 6, 9:20 a.m. EDT: adds the reported diagnosis and outlook for Lamar Jackson and the plan at quarterback.

Lamar Jackson is dealing with a sprained left ankle that leaves him with only an outside chance of playing Sunday night against the Atlanta Falcons, Ian Rapoport reported on Tuesday, October 6, and the Baltimore Ravens quarterback could miss more than one game depending on how his rehab progresses.

Rapoport added that the injury is not viewed as long-term and will not require surgery. If Jackson cannot play, Tyler Huntley, who has served as Baltimore’s backup on and off since 2021, would make the start. Mike Garafolo described Jackson’s status for Sunday as questionable at best. The Ravens have not publicly confirmed the diagnosis or a timeline.

#Ravens QB Lamar Jackson is dealing with a sprained ankle that gives him only an outside chance to play Sunday against the #Falcons, sources say.

Jackson could end up missing multiple games based on how rehab goes, but the injury is not considered long-term or surgical. pic.twitter.com/pIKU5IfA3J

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) October 6, 2026

The reports add detail to what coach Jesse Minter said on Monday, October 5, when he would not put odds on Jackson playing in Week 5. “I don’t know the chances yet,” Minter said, explaining that the team was still collecting imaging results. He also said he did not expect the problem to be “crazy long term.”

How the injury happened

Jackson was hurt on the last snap of the first half of Sunday’s 24–18 win over the Tennessee Titans, when defensive end Jermaine Johnson II sacked him. He did not come back out for the second half, left the stadium wearing a walking boot and had an MRI on Monday.

Before the injury he was 15 of 20 for 222 yards and two touchdowns against Tennessee, with 20 rushing yards on two carries. Through four games he has thrown for 967 yards, six touchdowns and one interception, and has run for 144 yards and a score.

Huntley’s turn again

Huntley closed out the Titans game by completing 8 of 9 passes for 63 yards and adding 16 yards on the ground. He is 5–6 as a starter for Baltimore, filling in during earlier seasons when Jackson was unavailable.

The gap between the two situations is large. Since 2019, the Ravens have gone 6–11 in games Jackson has not played, compared with 79–32 when he starts. Baltimore is 3–1 and level with the Cleveland Browns at the top of the AFC North, and a win in Atlanta would give the Ravens a 4–1 start for the first time since 2021.

What comes next

Baltimore visits Atlanta on Sunday, October 11, at 8:20 p.m. EDT. The first practice report of the week, due Wednesday, will show whether Jackson can do any work. The Ravens–Falcons Game Center will carry confirmed inactives, and the Ravens team page and NFL injury report will list official designations.