Ravens Officially Lose Star QB vs. Texans

The last time the Baltimore Ravens offense took the field to start a game with All Pro quarterback Lamar Jackson watching from the sidelines, it was the 2023 regular season finale, and they had already secured the No. 1 seed in the AFC and homefield advantage throughout the playoffs.

When they take on the Houston Texans in Week 5, they'll be fighting just to keep their playoff hopes alive without their star signal caller, who was among five starters who were officially ruled on the final injury report that was released on Friday.

Game status vs. Texans pic.twitter.com/br78jtqZtE
— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) October 3, 2025

Jackson left the Ravens' Week 4 road loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in the third quarter and did not return with a hamstring injury that prohibited him from taking the practice field all week, leading up to their home matchup with the Texans, who are also 1-3 and are coming off their first win of the season.

Dating back to the 2020 season, when Jackson missed his first career game due to injury or illness, the Ravens are 4-10 in games he hasn't played in, and will be turning to ninth-year veteran Cooper Rush to start in his stead. They will also be elevating former Pro Bowl alternate Tyler Huntley from the practice squad to serve as the backup and potentially have a limited role in this must-win game.

In addition to the face of the franchise, the Ravens also ruled out four other starters, including a trio of 2024 First Team All Pro selections. Joining him on the list of inactives this week will be three-time Pro Bowl inside linebacker Roquan Smith (hamstring), four-time Pro Bowl cornerback Marlon Humphrey (calf), five-time Pro Bowl fullback Patrick Ricard (calf), veteran corner Chidobe Awuzie (hamstring) and rookie offensive lineman Emery Jones Jr. (shoulder).

They listed four players as questionable, with the most notable being All Pro safety Kyle Hamilton (groin), who missed the last two days of practice after being limited on the first, and two-time Pro Bowl left tackle Ronnie Stanley (ankle), who was limited all week after leaving the Chiefs' loss early. Veteran outside linebacker Odafe Oweh (eye) and second-year wide receiver Devontez Walker (oblique) were also listed as questionable.

Baltimore Ravens linebacker Kyle Van Noy (53) sacks Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud (7) in Week 17 of 2024 season. — Dec 15, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Baltimore Ravens linebacker Kyle Van Noy (53) sacks Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud (7) during the first quarter at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

One of the few encouraging injury-related updates is that the Ravens' pass rush will receive a boost this week, as Pro Bowl outside linebacker Kyle Van Noy was removed from the final report and wasn't given a designation after being a full participant in the last two days of practice. The 12th-year veteran led the team with a career-high 12.5 sacks last season, and his presence was sorely missed both as a pass rusher and edge-setter in the run game the past two weeks since he's been out.

Fellow defensive starters, cornerback Nate Wiggins (elbow) and nose tackle Travis Jones (knee), we also removed from the final injury report and were given designations either after practicing fully on Friday. The Ravens will be leaning on a lot of young players and veteran depth pieces to step up and perform in a game where they're entering as underdogs with so much star power missing on both sides of the ball.

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