Lamar Jackson Expected to Return from Injury for Ravens vs. Bears, John Harbaugh Says

Very few things have gone right for the Baltimore Ravens during an injury-riddled, 1-5 start to the 2025 season. But some very important help is on the way.

Head coach John Harbaugh told reporters after Sunday's 17-3 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers that superstar quarterback Lamar Jackson is expected to return following the Week 7 bye, along with linebacker Roquan Smith.

Jackson has missed the last two weeks with a hamstring injury and the Baltimore offense has been a mess without him, managing a meager 13 points in that time.

Backup quarterback Cooper Rush threw for 251 yards, no touchdowns and four interceptions in those games, and he was so bad on Sunday that he was replaced by backup Tyler Huntley in the second half.

After the contest, Harbaugh said the plan all along was to play both quarterbacks, though that in and of itself was hardly a ringing endorsement of Rush:

"As you went through the game, as you feel the game, when you make a change it wasn't necessarily going to be a change that was Cooper then Tyler. It could've been Tyler then Cooper again. It could've been any one of those things," the head coach told reporters. "The way the first half went, didn't seem to be a moment to bring him out. Second half we had a drive going, then we turned it over. I don't think there was necessarily an obvious moment to do that. But the plan all along was to play both quarterbacks."

There probably isn't a team in football that more badly needed a bye than these Ravens, who have been one of the most disappointing—but also one of the most injured—teams in the sport.

"We know it's rough right now," running back Derrick Henry acknowledged after Sunday's loss.

But getting back Jackson, a two-time MVP and four-time Pro Bowler, will certainly help. Few players in football are more dynamic, and Jackson's ability to beat defense's either as a passer or runner makes the Ravens difficult to slow down.

Still, the Ravens were just 1-2 in the three games Jackson started and finished this season. Baltimore has faced a tough schedule and the injury issues are well-documented, but this still isn't a team that has played up to the expected level outside of a Week 2 beatdown of the Cleveland Browns. At this point, the Ravens will need to be close to perfect to reach the postseason.

It's still possible, of course, but there is plenty for Baltimore to figure out in its upcoming bye. The return of Jackson alone won't save the season.