Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson made his first practice appearance since Sept. 28 on Wednesday, where he was a limited participant. The Bears are preparing as though he will face them Sunday after missing two games with a hamstring injury.
Some are even daydreaming that he will.
“I hope that he plays, just because of the simple fact you want to be able to go up against guys like him,” safety Kevin Byard, who’s tied for the NFL lead in interceptions, said Wednesday. “Kinda measure ourselves as a defense when you go up against a top offense.”
The Bears should be careful what they wish for.
Jackson leads the NFL with a 130.5 passer rating and has run for 41.5 yards per game. His 10 passing touchdowns rank in the top half of starting quarterbacks despite the fact Jackson has only played in four games.
Asked about his odds of playing Sunday, Ravens coach John Harbaugh told reporters Wednesday that it was “hard to put a number on it.” Center Tyler Linderbaum said the Ravens will be “happy to have him back — whenever that is.”
Harbaugh wouldn’t divulge whether he’d replace the two-time MVP with Cooper Rush, who started the last two games, or Tyler Huntley, who replaced Rush against the Rams, were Jackson unable to go.
“We don’t need to put the information out there, really,” Harbaugh said.
There’s a difference between Huntley, who is a willing runner, and Rush, who is a traditional dropback passer.
“[But] between Lamar and anybody else, he’s different than anybody that’s in the league,” defensive tackle Grady Jarrett said.
8 back at practice ‼️ pic.twitter.com/F1QMd1NH44
— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) October 22, 2025
Jackson led the league in yards per pass last year when he finished second in MVP voting. He won the trophy in 2019 and 2023. Bears safety Jaquan Brisker considers him one of the two best quarterbacks in football.
The Ravens are desperate for Jackson’s return — at 1-5, time is running out for them to climb out of last place, much less contend for a playoff spot. Harbaugh said last week, when the team had a bye, that the plan was for Jackson to return this week. He reiterated that stance despite Jackson missing practice.
Amazingly, Jackson has never faced the Bears. Huntley beat the Bears 16-13 four years ago when Jackson was a late scratch because of an illness.
“He’s an explosive athlete, he makes people miss, he’s got a great arm …” said defensive end Dayo Odeyingbo, whose Colts beat Jackson two years ago in overtime. “You have to prepare for the guy they want to be out there to be out there. If things change, you adjust.”
Like Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, the challenge isn’t what he does with the play that’s called, but what he can do when the play breaks down.
Jackson holds the single-season record for rushing yards by a quarterback, running for 1,206 in 2019. Former Bears quarterback Justin Fields, who ran for 1,143 three years ago, ranks second.
Jackson has the career mark for a quarterback, too, with 6,339 in his eight seasons.
“He’s that dynamic as a quarterback as a runner — in my opinion, the best mobile quarterback in NFL history,” Byard said. “So I think the main thing is to understand that the only thing you can do is try to slow him down, especially when he’s running.”
As a member of the Titans, Byard was taught to make Jackson try to run side-to-side.
“You know, if he gets downhill, especially escaping through the pocket, he’s just as dangerous as any runner in this league,” he said.
