After missing the first two days of practice, Lamar Jackson returned to the field Friday and will play Sunday against the Denver Broncos.
After Friday's practice, Jackson said there was never a doubt that he would play.
Though he was officially listed with a back/knee injury designation, Jackson got rest days on Thursday and Friday. He's not on the final injury report.
"Just resting my body," Jackson said. "It's a long season, that's all. We've got a lot of games these next couple weeks. Just trying to get my body right, keep it fresh."
Following Sunday's game against the Broncos, the Ravens have a short turnaround before facing the Cincinnati Bengals on Thursday night, then the Pittsburgh Steelers the following Sunday.
Head Coach John Harbaugh said he's not worried about Jackson's ability to play well against the Broncos despite missing two practices.
"He studied all week," Harbaugh said. "He was involved in all the preparation stuff. He knows the gameplan, he knows the opponent. He'll be ready to go."
Harbaugh also said the Ravens would consider giving Jackson more rest days in future weeks.
"You want your players to be at their best on Sunday," he said.
Ravens Defensive Line Remains Questionable
The Ravens have just one defensive linemen, Nnamdi Madubuike, who isn't on the injury report, but the situation did trend up on Friday.
The Ravens placed nose tackle Michael Pierce (calf) on injured reserve earlier this week and Brent Urban (concussion) was ruled out after not practicing all week.
Travis Jones (ankle) and Broderick Washington (knee) returned to practice Friday, but Jones is still questionable to play. Washington doesn't carry a designation, meaning he's expected to suit up.
If the Ravens need additional defensive line help, they have several defensive linemen they could elevate from the practice squad: nose tackle Josh Tupou, defensive end Chris Wormley, undrafted rookie defensive end C.J. Ravenell, and defensive end Adedayo Odeleye.
"Obviously we got some guys that are banged up. We'll see if they make it to the game Sunday," Defensive Coordinator Zach Orr said Thursday.
"Obviously, those guys are very important players for us, but the guys we have behind them, I'm excited about – they've been getting some good work in practice. Here in Baltimore, the interior D-Line is something we take seriously, and we always have a contingency plan for that, and I don't think that's going [to] really change the way we call [plays]."
The strength of the Broncos' offense has been their rushing game, which ranks 14th in the league with 121.4 yards per game. Javonte Williams is their leading rusher and rookie quarterback Box Nix can also make some plays with his legs.
Marlon Humphrey Still Questionable; Nate Wiggins Will Play
Rookie first-round pick Nate Wiggins carries no injury designation into the game after missing last week due to an illness. He was a full practice participant Thursday and Friday.
However, fellow cornerback Marlon Humphrey was limited in practice all week and is questionable to suit up, putting him at risk of missing a second straight game. Humphrey leads the Ravens with four interceptions this season.
Cornerback Jalyn Armour-Davis popped up on the injury report Friday with a knee injury that held him out of practice. He's questionable to play.
Could Keaton Mitchell Be Activated?
Running back Keaton Mitchell has made "stellar" progress in his rehab and has been a full practice participant all week. He's listed as questionable to face the Broncos.
Mitchell would need to be activated for Sunday's game off injured reserve, which would require some roster juggling. The Ravens ruled out rookie running back Rasheen Ali (ankle), even though he was limited in practice Thursday and Friday.
The Ravens don't have an immediate need with Derrick Henry and Justice Hill leading the running back corps. Rookie Chris Collier is also available to serve as the No. 3 running back.
However, whenever Mitchell is ready to play, he'll boost Baltimore's backfield. The Ravens have a short week next week before facing the Cincinnati Bengals on "Thursday Night Football," followed by an elongated break before another AFC North showdown in Pittsburgh.
