Lamar Jackson Reportedly Has 'Outside Shot' to Play for Ravens vs. Rams amid Injury

The Baltimore Ravens are holding out hope that Lamar Jackson's hamstring injury will only keep him out for one game.

Per Fox Sports' Jay Glazer (starts at 1:10 mark), there is an "outside shot" that Jackson could be back in Week 6 when the Ravens host the Los Angeles Rams.

"Lamar Jackson is out today, obviously," Glazer said. "I was told there's an outside shot for next week, they don't want to shut him down yet. But the bye is coming up after that, so obviously if they decide to put him out next week, then they get three weeks of rest for him. But they're not saying he's out yet for next week."

Jackson left Baltimore's 37-20 loss against the Kansas City Chiefs last week in the third quarter due to a hamstring injury. He didn't practice this week and will sit out Sunday's game against the Houston Texans.

The Ravens haven't said publicly the severity of Jackson's injury or how long he might be out, but Brian Wacker of the Baltimore Sun reported on Tuesday that the two-time NFL MVP could miss two to three weeks.

Given the tricky nature of hamstring injuries and how it can lead to bigger problems if it's not fully healed, the Ravens will almost certainly err on the side of caution with Jackson.

One thing that helps the Ravens is their bye is in Week 7, so even if it does turn into a three-week injury, he would only miss two games before they return to action on Oct. 26 against the Chicago Bears.

The downside is the Ravens have already put themselves in a hole with three losses in their first four games. Cooper Rush will be starting on Sunday against a very tough Texans defense that hasn't allowed more than 20 points in a game this season.

If the Ravens were to lose to Houston, they would fall to 1-4. There have only been 16 teams since 1970 that have made the playoffs after losing four of their first five games, though it did happen last year with the Rams.

The Ravens haven't missed the playoffs since the 2021 season when Jackson missed the last four games due to an ankle injury.