Lamar Jackson did not practice Thursday and now his extended absence may be a factor in the decision on who will start Sunday's game in Cincinnati. Jackson hasn't practiced since suffering his ankle injury in Cleveland on Dec. 5. He didn't practice at all last week and hasn't suited up for the first two days this week. Offensive Coordinator Greg Roman reiterated that the Ravens are taking it "day-by-day" with their star quarterback, but that the lack of practice time is an issue. "I think it does become a concern for any player when they miss time. You really want them out there working on their craft," Roman said Thursday. "But these things happen. You have to work through them. Before the Denver game, he missed Wednesday and Thursday, and I thought he played a great game. So, he has the capability to do that. We have all the confidence in him and Tyler [Huntley]." Tyler Huntley will make his first career start and the Ravens activated Trace McSorley from the practice squad. The last time Huntley saw extensive action was in the Ravens' playoff loss to Buffalo at the end of last season. He completed six of 13 passes for 60 yards and ran three times for 32 yards. Like Jackson, Huntley is a dynamic runner, and he played well in the preseason this year. The Ravens are also without their top wide receiver, as Marquise "Hollywood" Brown was ruled out Saturday because of his thigh injury, making Huntley's job even more challenging. Baltimore got more tough news on defense, too, as starting cornerback Anthony Averett is inactive. Averett has started every game this season but suffered a mid-week thigh injury that sidelined him for Friday's practice. His likely replacement, veteran cornerback Jimmy Smith, is also inactive because of a hip/neck injury that left him limited in practice. That means Chris Westry will likely see an increased role outside. The good news is Tavon Young, who left last week's game with a foot injury, will play against the Bears. Defensive tackle Brandon Williams (shoulder) was ruled out Friday, putting more stress on a defensive line facing a strong Chicago run game. Baltimore's other inactives are offensive tackle Cedric Ogbuehi (thigh) and wide receiver Miles Boykin (finger). Starting right tackle Patrick Mekari and running back Latavius Murray are making their return to the lineup after missing the past several games. Tight end Nick Boyle is also making his debut after last year's season-ending knee injury. That is a big boost to Baltimore's rushing game, which could be leaned on more heavily without Jackson. The Bears are also banged up entering the game. Starting wide receiver Allen Robinson II, safety Eddie Jackson and defensive tackle Akiem Hicks are all out. The biggest storyline from the Baltimore Ravens’ OTAs has been the absence of Lamar Jackson, and the quarterback choosing not to participate isn’t a great sign to start the season. Jackson is currently embroiled in contract disputes as he has yet to finalize an extension, not to mention he has been rehabbing from an ankle injury that caused him to miss significant time in 2021. Jackson’s teammates and coaches have stood by the quarterback, saying Jackson will return to the field when he’s ready, and for the most part, him skipping OTAs doesn’t seem like too big of a deal. The 2019 MVP will play under center for Baltimore in 2022, that much is for certain. His absence doesn’t affect his starting role, but it could affect the performances of players who want to develop chemistry with Jackson as soon as possible. Here are three Ravens players who are most impacted by Lamar Jackson’s absence in OTAs. site: media | arena: nfl | pageType: profiles | section: | slug: | sport: football | route: player_profile_home | 6-keys: media/spln/nfl/reg/free/playerprofiles
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