Ravens Week 8 Inactives, With Lamar Jackson Returning

The Baltimore Ravens may be a few more AFC losses from being out of contending more and into player-development mode with another season in the balance, but they are leaning into their experience Sunday at Buffalo.

With the return of Lamar Jackson from a three-week absence with a high-ankle sprain, Baltimore badly needs to beat the Bills to turn the tide after blowing double-digit leads in the second half two straight weeks in losses to the division rival Bengals and Browns. With that in mind, general manager Eric DeCosta is leaning into his highest-paid players at Buffalo – despite their historic struggles – and the inactives for this game speak to that dynamic.

The Ravens also knew their top pick, guard Vega Ioane (14th overall and the best center on the team as well) was out with a knee injury. Perhaps he can get back for Thursday’s game bit this is obviously a short week. Rookie receiver Elijah Sarratt (fourth round) was also inactive and the Baltimore native has yet to find his way in this offense.

Rookie slot corner Chandler Rivers (fifth-round) has strong instincts attack the ball on screens in front of him but has been picked on badly in coverage – Baltimore’s slot defense has been atrocious - and has plenty to do with them getting DeCosta-ed week after week – and he is not playing in this game, either.

The Other Inactives

Young guard Emery Jones has been battling injury which means a sixth new offensive line combination in eight games, with struggling Andrew Vorhees likely thrust back into that role. Aeneas Peebles – the only defensive tackle DeCosta took in a historically significant 2025 DT draft despite it being a big need – still cannot see the field and he was scratched again. Undrafted rookie Joe Fagnano is again the emergency third QB.

Starting safety Jaylinn Hawkins was ruled out with injury on Friday.

Jackson’s return gives this team a chance to reverse the course of its season, but it carries almost identical warts and serious personnel concerns as the pathetic product DeCosta fielded in 2025, when he won a power struggle with potential Hall of Fame head coach John Harbaugh, gutting that staff that included offensive coordinator Todd Monken, now head coach of the Browns and a top midseason candidate for NFL Coach of the Year, along with Harbaugh (Giants).

DeCosta and team president Sashi Brown branded this a Super Bowl contender when they hired novice head coach Jesse Minter and built one of only two staffs in the entire NFL without a former NFL head coach on the roster. Yet about 20 percent of the Week 1 roster was compromised of players without an NFL snap, while at the same time the bulk of the team-record $370M payroll was going to veterans decidedly on the decline with ridiculously bloated contracts (Roquan Smith, Marlon Humphrey, Mark Andrews, John Simpson).

The coming weeks will be critical to determining how much longer they can afford to prop up some of them, as we discussed recently with longtime NFL GM Marty Hurney on "The Daily Flock."

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