Lamar Jackson did not practice Thursday and now his extended absence may be a factor in the decision on who will start Sunday's game in Cincinnati.
Jackson hasn't practiced since suffering his ankle injury in Cleveland on Dec. 5. He didn't practice at all last week and hasn't suited up for the first two days this week.
Offensive Coordinator Greg Roman reiterated that the Ravens are taking it "day-by-day" with their star quarterback, but that the lack of practice time is an issue.
"I think it does become a concern for any player when they miss time. You really want them out there working on their craft," Roman said Thursday.
"But these things happen. You have to work through them. Before the Denver game, he missed Wednesday and Thursday, and I thought he played a great game. So, he has the capability to do that. We have all the confidence in him and Tyler [Huntley]."
Roman said he is building flexibility into the game-plan for the Bengals in case Jackson can play but isn't 100% healthy.
"If he can't move very well, then we'll certainly lean on other things than trying to have him move too much," Roman said. "So, it's just something you have to weigh in. It's a fact of life in the NFL."
With that said, Huntley is preparing to start a third game this season. He's gained confidence with each start and showed that with a strong showing last Sunday against the Green Bay Packers in which he scored four touchdowns and completed 28 of 40 passes for 215 yards.
The first-team reps certainly helped Huntley last week, and he's hoping another week of practice getting his timing and chemistry right with the team's top targets will make a difference against a stingy Cincinnati defense.
"That's pretty much my mindset every week; [I'm] just preparing as if I'm going to be the starter. So, I'm treating it like it's not a different week," Huntley said. "I feel like it's a great thing that I'm getting a lot of reps, [and] last week I got a lot of reps. It's just a good thing that I'm actually in the gameplan."
Another concern for every team around the league is the possibility of their starting quarterback going on the COVID-19 list. The Ravens signed veteran Josh Johnson just in case, but with Jackson sidelined, Huntley said he's taking extra precautions this week.
"We've just got to continue to follow the protocols [as] best as ever now, continue to wear our masks and [stay] socially distant," Huntley said. "The Ravens do a great job around here. They've added so many parts of the building for us to spread out and be on meetings and just do what we've got to do at the building and be able to just still protect ourselves at the same time."
In good injury news for the Ravens, starting right tackle Patrick Mekari (hand) practiced fully for the first time in weeks Thursday and cornerback Tavon Young (concussion) returned to practice in a limited capacity. Defensive tackle Calais Campbell (thigh) practiced for a second straight day.
