The Baltimore Ravens have been waiting for Lamar Jackson to return to the field, but it won’t be in Week 8 against the Chicago Bears.
It seemed as though Jackson was ready to play against Chicago, as Baltimore listed him as a full participant in Friday’s practice. However, the Ravens declared him out for the game on Saturday, putting them in the spotlight after needing to change Jackson’s injury status from Friday.
As a result, Baltimore could face discipline from the league if the NFL determines the Ravens violated the rules. Here’s a breakdown of what happened.
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What happened to Lamar Jackson?
After missing the previous two games, along with enjoying a bye week, Lamar Jackson appeared ready to return for the Ravens against the Bears. Jackson practiced throughout the week, and Baltimore listed him as a full participant in Friday’s practice.
However, on Saturday, Jackson’s status took a turn. The Ravens retroactively changed his Friday practice designation to limited and ruled him out for Sunday’s game, announcing that Tyler Huntley would get the start.
This drew scrutiny among fans, as it is unusual for a team to change a player’s practice designation the day after. In a statement, the Ravens clarified that Jackson participated fully but didn’t take starter reps, and after discussing the situation with the NFL, they changed his designation to limited.
— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) October 25, 2025
Jackson took reps on the scout team, which is not what he would do if he were the unquestioned starter for the week. NFL rules state that a player who participates in scout team reps for injury reasons should be listed as a limited participant.
Here is the full language of the NFL’s injury reporting policy, which specifically covers situations like Lamar Jackson’s:
“A player who participates in individual drills, but for medical reasons does not take his normal repetitions during the team portion of practice and is…
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) October 25, 2025
Since the Ravens had to change Jackson’s practice participation designation, the NFL will look into it further as part of its policy regarding injury participation changes.
The NFL will look into the #Ravens practice and participation situation surrounding Lamar Jackson’s status, I’m told, as it reviews any matter involving a change to a player’s status.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) October 25, 2025
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Will the NFL fine the Ravens?
If the NFL determines that the Ravens acted improperly in listing Jackson as a full participant in Friday’s practice, the league could fine Baltimore. A recent example came in 2023, when the Atlanta Falcons were fined $75,000, and then-head coach Arthur Smith was fined $25,000 for an incident surrounding Bijan Robinson.
