Ravens QB Lamar Jackson amped to play Thursday vs. Dolphins: 'Can’t wait to touch the grass with my guys'

Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson is more than ready to take the field Thursday night against the Miami Dolphins.

He's "extremely excited."

Can't wait to touch the grass with my guys, man," he said Tuesday. "It's been a while."

Jackson missed the past three games with a hamstring injury he suffered Sept. 28 during a Week 4 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.

A month later, Jackson said his hamstring feels "great." As for any potential rust?

"Nah, that's what practice is for," he said. "I felt like we had a great day today. We'll execute tomorrow, and then come Thursday night just fly."

Week 9 pic.twitter.com/xbocGafHEm

- Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) October 28, 2025

There was optimism the two-time NFL MVP could return after Baltimore's Week 7 bye for a Week 8 game against the Chicago Bears. But, even though Jackson made his return to practice last week, he was ultimately ruled out for the Bears game.

Jackson's Friday practice status was downgraded from "full" to "limited," the team announced Saturday. NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported earlier Saturday that Jackson ran the scout team Friday.

Rapoport then reported Saturday evening the NFL would look into the Ravens' practice and participation situation. The league, according to Rapoport, "reviews any matter involving a change to a player's status."

While the Ravens released a statement Saturday explaining the designation change, the NFL has distinct rules about Jackson's exact scenario, per ESPN's Jamison Hensley:

"A player who participates in individual drills, but for medical reasons doesn't take his normal repetitions during the team portion of practice and is assigned to the scout team should be listed as 'limited participation.' Participation on the scout team, no matter how extensive, by a player whose normal repetitions would be with the starters but for his medical condition, would not alter the player's proper designation as 'limited participation.'"

The Ravens started Tyler "Snoop" Huntley at quarterback instead, and he helped the Ravens to a 30-16 win, which ended their four-game skid and snapped the Bears' four-game win streak.

Huntley did so in his 11th career start in place of Jackson. He previously started 10 games in Jackson's absence during a four-season stay with the Ravens from 2020-23, including a playoff game during the 2022 season, for which he ended up earning a Pro Bowl nod.

The two games before the Ravens' bye, they were outscored a combined 61-13. Cooper Rush started both of those losses, the first to the Houston Texans and the next to the Los Angeles Rams.

After going 4-4 in place of Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott last season, Rush struggled mightily with the Ravens this season. So much so that he was benched for Huntley during a 17-3 embarrassment to the Rams in Week 6.

Now 2-5, the Ravens have life in an AFC North that's remained competitive, thanks to back-to-back losses by the first-place Pittsburgh Steelers.

Head coach John Harbaugh's message is clear in the Baltimore locker room.

"Each and every game gonna be like a win-or-go-home game," Jackson said Tuesday. "It's do or die right now, each and every week."