Raven Country

Ravens' Lamar Jackson on Track to Start vs. Steelers

The Baltimore Ravens are trending toward having their best player back for the most important game of the season.
Josh Reed|
Dec 7, 2025; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) runs with the ball for a touchdown against Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Payton Wilson (41) during the first half at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mitch Stringer-Imagn Images
Dec 7, 2025; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) runs with the ball for a touchdown against Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Payton Wilson (41) during the first half at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mitch Stringer-Imagn Images | Mitch Stringer-Imagn Images

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Baltimore Ravens

When the Baltimore Ravens take the field at Acrisure Stadium to face the Pittsburgh Steelers in the final game of the 2025 regular season with the AFC North division title at stake, quarterback Lamar Jackson, the team's best player, may very well be leading the charge.

After missing last week's season-saving win over the Green Bay Packers with a back injury he suffered six days prior that caused him to leave the Week 16 loss to the New England Patriots and sit out the entire week of practice, the franchise quarterback wasn't just back in action for the first day of practice but he was a full participant according head coach John Harbaugh.

"He was full participation [and] looked good," Harbaugh said.

This latest positive development comes as music to the ears of the Ravens fans and supporters everywhere after Harbaugh said the two-time league MVP's health status and practice availability were "to be determined" earlier in the week.

Jackson, missing the first day of practice, has been a regular occurrence since he returned from the hamstring injury that caused him to miss three games, so to have already started off what could be the Ravens' final week of preparation is a great sign that he is on track to be available for this winner-take-all primetime showdown.

"I can't speak for Lamar or anybody but he looked good and I'm optimistic," Harbaugh said. "I'm very optimistic and we'll see how it plays out the rest of the week."

The Ravens are 2-2 in games without Jackson this season, with both losses coming before their Week 7 bye and with veteran backup Cooper Rush starting in his place, while both wins came over playoff teams with Pro Bowl reserve Tyler Huntley under center.

Some in the media and fan base have argued that the offense is better off without the greatest dual-threat quarterback in league history, but make no mistake, when he's healthy, there is no better option for this team at the position than Jackson, who has had to battle through a myriad of injuries and ailments this season.

Ravens Pro Bowler expects and is excited for Jackson's return

Baltimore Ravens tight end Mark Andrews (89) celebrates with quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) after catching a touchdown.
Oct 1, 2023; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Baltimore Ravens tight end Mark Andrews (89) celebrates with quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) after catching a touchdown during the second half against the Cleveland Browns at Cleveland Browns Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images | Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

The three-time First Team All Pro signal caller's presence in practice was a welcome sight for all in attendance, perhaps none more so than star tight end Mark Andrews, who has been his top target for the bulk of their careers since coming into the league together in 2018.

"It's great," Andrews said. "That's our guy, that's our leader and it felt great out there today just going through the offense making plays, making the right reads and for us, it was a great work day and it was awesome to have him out there.

Andrews's strong rapport with Jackson helped him become the most accomplished and prolific pass catcher in franchise history as the all-time leader in receiving yards, receptions, touchdown catches and total touchdowns from scrimmage. They've been able to come up clutch in some of the biggest key moments of this era of the team. During the regular season, they would be poised to do so once again if they take the field together against the Steelers this week.

"Lamar is a polarizing person," Andrews said. "He's been that since college Heisman [trophy-winning] days. You got to give a lot of credit to him and what he's been through all throughout his career and the type of scrutiny that he's faced and to be able to be where he's at.

"Obviously this year hasn't been the way he's drawn it up but he's a fighter, he's going to continue to fight this organization and everybody in this organization has trust in Lamar. He's one-of-one, he's incredible and I'm excited to take the field with him this week because that's our guy and he knows the type of opportunity we have and we're going to fight out butts off."

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Josh Reed
JOSH REED

Josh is a writer for Baltimore Ravens On SI focusing primarily on original content and reporting. He provides analysis, breakdowns, profiles, and reports on important news and transactions from and about the Ravens. His professional resume as a sports reporter includes covering local events, teams, and athletes in his hometown of Anchorage, Alaska for Anchorage Daily News. His coverage on the Ravens and other NFL teams has been featured on Heavy.com/sports, Maryland Sports Blog and most recently Baltimore Beatdown from 2021 until 2025.

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