Commanders’ Terry McLaurin Could Miss ‘Multiple Weeks’
2025 has been a disappointing season for Commanders wide receiver Terry McLaurin. After missing three games in his first two years in the league, McLaurin didn’t miss a game for four straight seasons. So far, this year alone, McLaurin has more than doubled his total absences, and if ESPN’s Adam Schefter is correct, he could end up missing even more. 
It’s been a quad injury holding McLaurin out. After a disappointing first two games to open the year, McLaurin saw a promising third contest cut short because of the injured quad. It was expected that McLaurin would miss a couple of weeks, but no surgery was deemed necessary, so the 30-year-old was able to avoid a stint on injured reserve.
It seemed McLaurin was on a week-to-week approach, with reports coming in four straight weeks that McLaurin would be unavailable. Finally, last week, McLaurin got the green light to return to the field. McLaurin put up a pretty strong performance but ended up aggravating the quad injury that sidelined him before. Whether Schefter’s prognosis of “potentially multiple weeks” means McLaurin is two weeks away or on his way to IR is unclear for now. This may continue being a week-to-week report.
In the meantime, fellow wide receiver Deebo Samuel has continued to stay healthy-ish after missing Week 7 with a heel injury that he had been playing through. With Noah Brown on IR, rookie fourth-round pick Jaylin Lane, second-year wideout Luke McCaffrey, and veteran Chris Moore have been filling out the receiving corps. They’ll look to continue supplementing Samuel until McLaurin can return to the active lineup.
Chargers Fear Repeat Injury For LT Joe Alt
The Chargers knew they would face additional challenges this season when newly paid left tackle Rashawn Slater suffered a torn patellar tendon injury that would take him out for the year. Then usual right tackle Joe Alt, who had moved over to Justin Herbert‘s blindside in place of Slater, suffered a high ankle sprain four weeks into the season, leaving Los Angeles without its top bookend on the line. Alt returned from injury last week but may face a longer absence after a potential reinjury today. 
Alt came back into the lineup last weekend despite limited participation in practice throughout the week. Still, he looked strong in his first game back, hardly showing any signs of the injury that held him out for three weeks. In fact, he didn’t even appear on the team’s injury report this week. Late in the first half of today’s game in Nashville, though, Alt was carted off the field, holding the same ankle that had sidelined him four weeks prior.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Alt is “believed to have suffered another high ankle sprain.” To make matters worse, this time, the injury may require a medical procedure to repair. In order to determine exactly what needs to be done, Alt will undergo an MRI tomorrow to confirm the diagnosis and determine the severity.
When Alt was healthy, it was backup tackle Trey Pipkins III filling in for Alt at right tackle as Alt covered the blindside. When Alt got hurt, backup tackle Austin Deculus was called up to the first-team offense. Pipkins got hurt in Week 5, and Jamaree Salyer finished the game at right tackle, but a practice squad addition, Bobby Hart, would get the subsequent start across from Deculus. Even when Pipkins came back healthy, Hart remained in the starting lineup across from Alt in his return last week.
Hart actually left today’s game with an injury before Alt, getting replaced by Pipkins early in the contest. And Deculus, who had filled in for Alt in his previous absences, had already been ruled out with an ankle injury before the game. So, when Alt went down, Salyer was called upon once again, this time to play left tackle across from Pipkins. In addition to the injuries at tackle, right guard Mekhi Becton missed his second game of the season today. Foster Sarell started in his place.
An extended absence for Alt could spell trouble for Los Angeles. In games that Alt has started, the Chargers have gone 5-1; in games without him, they’re 1-2. Throw in the additional injuries across the line, and it becomes hard to field a competent, cohesive offensive line. Los Angeles is still two weeks away from a bye week, and their next two games are against playoff hopefuls Pittsburgh and Jacksonville. The Steelers defense, in particular, poses a threat as they came into the week boasting the fifth-most pressures in the NFL.
Tomorrow’s diagnosis will provide further details as to what the Chargers are facing. They may just need to weather another three-week absence, but if a procedure is necessary, any resulting extended absence for Alt could be detrimental to the team’s postseason aspirations. If the team falls far enough out of contention without its two starting tackles, a decision might be made to ensure Alt remains fully healthy for an eventual return alongside Slater in 2026. Whatever the case, we should know more tomorrow.
Eagles Trade For Ravens CB Jaire Alexander
The Eagles continue to stay aggressive in the trade market, even attacking for a rare Saturday acquisition. The latest move sees them send a 2026 sixth-round pick to the Ravens in exchange for cornerback Jaire Alexander and a 2027 seventh-rounder, per Adam Schefter of ESPN. A team announcement of the trade further reports that safety Marcus Epps and outside linebacker Azeez Ojulari have been placed on injured reserve.
Alexander was considered one of the league’s more intriguing free agents this offseason after the Packers were unable to work out a trade agreement anywhere and released the veteran corner to the open market. In the days following his release, there were a few reports of teams who weren’t interested in pursuing Alexander, but after eight days of free agency, he landed in Baltimore with his former college teammate, Lamar Jackson.
After seeing injuries keep him out of over half of the past two seasons, Alexander was dealing with a knee issue in Baltimore’s training camp, but he found his way off the injury report in time to debut in Week 1 of the season. Alexander had an extremely poor showing against Josh Allen and the Bills, and the Ravens reacted by making him a healthy scratch for the next three games. He was active again in Baltimore’s Week 5 home blowout at the hands of the Texans and again the following week against the Rams, but he didn’t see the field in Week 6. After the team’s bye week, Alexander was made a healthy inactive for their last two games.
There doesn’t appear to be any bad blood between Alexander and the Ravens. In fact, according to Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic, Baltimore has “raved about how well he’s handled (his benching), how hard he’s worked to stay ready.” Ultimately, despite his desire to play, the Ravens didn’t have an immediate path to playing time for the veteran.
Today’s trade will provide that opportunity to Alexander while relieving the Ravens of $2MM of cap space. Zrebiec points out that the extra sixth-rounder, which originally belonged to the Broncos, gives Baltimore eight picks for the 2026 NFL Draft, and there’s an expectation the team could receive as many as three compensatory picks, as well. With additional cap space and a bevy of theoretical draft picks, the Ravens are well set up to continue their own pursuits in the trade market.
For the Eagles, this is their eighth trade since the beginning of August, and two of the others also included the acquisition of cornerbacks. Trades rarely ever occur on Saturdays, with game prep normally dominating the schedule, but the stars aligned for this deal to happen. With the Eagles on a bye week and the Ravens coming off a victory Thursday night, both staffs have an advantage that 26 other teams don’t get to enjoy — the Dolphins (Thursday night) and the Browns, Jets, and Buccaneers (bye) also get this advantage.
Despite Philadelphia’s secondary housing two of the NFL’s stronger cornerbacks in Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean, the team’s depth at the position has been sorely lacking. Thus, two CB trades this week, the other being the Michael Carter II acquisition from the Jets. The lack of depth provides a clear road for Alexander to get onto the field, and the Eagles are willing to roll the dice on Alexander’s injury history and his struggles in Baltimore, as long as it takes a bit of stress off Mitchell and DeJean.
The move also reunites Alexander with passing game coordinator and defensive backs coach Christian Parker, whose first NFL job came as a Packers defensive quality control coach working with defensive backs in Alexander’s second and third years in the league. Excluding pick-for-pick trades, this Alexander move is the Eagles’ 11th trade of 2025.
While Epps has mostly played on special teams this year, losing Ojulari hurts an already ailing position group. We detailed yesterday how the Eagles could be focusing on addressing the pass rush before the deadline, and with Ojulari landing on IR, it becomes much more likely that Philadelphia will stay aggressive in the trade market.
Minor NFL Transactions: 11/1/25
Here are today’s minor moves and practice squad callups for the ninth weekend of the NFL season:
Atlanta Falcons
- Elevated: WR Dylan Drummond
Buffalo Bills
- Elevated: CB Dane Jackson, DT Phidarian Mathis
Chicago Bears
- Elevated: RB Brittain Brown
Cincinnati Bengals
- Elevated: LB Brian Asamoah II, G Jaxson Kirkland
Denver Broncos
- Elevated: WR Michael Bandy, TE Marcedes Lewis
Detroit Lions
- Elevated: LB Ty Summers
Green Bay Packers
- Signed from practice squad: LB Kristian Welch
- Elevated: DE Arron Mosby
- Placed on IR: LB Nick Niemann
Indianapolis Colts
- Elevated: DE Durell Nchami, WR Laquon Treadwell
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Elevated: LB Branson Combs, WR Tim Jones
Kansas City Chiefs
- Elevated: RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire, G C.J. Hanson
Las Vegas Raiders
- Elevated: CB Greedy Vance
Los Angeles Chargers
- Elevated: RB Amar Johnson, RB Jaret Patterson
- Placed on IR: RB Hassan Haskins
Los Angeles Rams
- Elevated: CB A.J. Green, RB Ronnie Rivers
Minnesota Vikings
- Elevated: CB Fabian Moreau, TE Nick Vannett
New England Patriots
- Elevated: RB D’Ernest Johnson
New Orleans Saints
- Elevated: LB Eku Leota
New York Giants
- Activated from IR: CB Rico Payton
- Elevated: LB Zaire Barnes, WR Ray-Ray McCloud
- Placed on IR: CB Art Green
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Activated from IR: LB Malik Harrison
- Elevated: RB Lew Nichols, RB Trey Sermon
San Francisco 49ers
- Activated from IR: OL Spencer Burford
- Elevated: DE Clelin Ferrell, OL Nick Zakelj
- Placed on IR: OLB Yetur Gross-Matos
Tennessee Titans
- Elevated: WR James Proche, DT Carlos Watkins
Washington Commanders
- Elevated: WR Treylon Burks, DT Sheldon Day
The Steelers are getting Harrison back at a crucial time. Fellow linebacker Cole Holcomb has been ruled out this weekend with an illness — as has safety Chuck Clark, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network — and Harrison should be able to reinforce the group. He has plenty of experience playing next to starter Patrick Queen from their time together in Baltimore, so perhaps he’ll be able to step in and contribute right away.
The Chargers continue to see their running backs room plagued with injury. Haskins joins Omarion Hampton and Najee Harris on injured reserve. Johnson and Patterson will suit up tomorrow to provide some depth behind lone survivor Kimani Vidal.
With Terry McLaurin once again set to miss time, Burks, the newly signed p-squad addition, will make his Washington debut. Also a newly signed p-squad addition, Lewis will make his Denver debut this weekend. If he sees game time, 2025 will officially be Lewis’ 20th season in the NFL.
After missing the last three games, Gross-Matos appeared to be close to returning to play. According to Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports, the 27-year-old re-injured his hamstring at practice on Thursday and will now miss another four games.
For Leota in New Orleans, Mosby in Green Bay, Sermon in Pittsburgh, Zakelj in San Francisco, and both Proche and Watkins in Tennessee, this Sunday will be their third and final standard gameday practice squad elevation on their current deals. In order to appear in any more games after this, their respective teams will need to sign them to the active roster.
Edge Rusher Trade Notes: Phillips, Johnson, Patriots, Commanders
Dolphins edge rusher Jaelan Phillips is becoming one of the hottest names on the trade market. Currently playing on the fifth-year option of his rookie deal, Phillips could be well on his way to pricing himself out of Miami through free agency, so the Dolphins could look to get something in return for losing him now via trade.
We identified Phillips as a trade candidate about a month ago. The team received interest on the 26-year-old, though Phillips expressed interest in staying in Miami. It quickly became clear, though, that Phillips was becoming more valuable than his pass rushing teammates, Bradley Chubb and Matt Judon. There’s been speculation that the Ravens would have interest in him, and then more speculation about the Eagles, a team that’s been extremely active in the trade market lately.
According to Dianna Russini of The Athletic, Baltimore and Philadelphia aren’t alone in their interest. Russini adds the 49ers to the named list of suitors and suggests that others are calling Miami about their pass rushers, as well. Fox Sports’ Jay Glazer says Phillips is the most likely to be traded among the Chubb/Phillips/Judon trio.
Here are some other nuggets about the pass rusher trade market:
- As mentioned above, the Eagles have shown interest in Phillips, but they’ve also been inquiring about other pass rushers, like Jets edge rusher Jermaine Johnson. Per Russini, the link makes sense due to the presence of Joe Douglas as a senior personnel director on Philadelphia’s staff. Douglas was the general manager in New York when the Jets drafted Johnson and could be talking the 26-year-old up to his new employers. The Jets, though, are seeking a second-round pick or better in exchange for the former Pro Bowler.
- Finally, in addition to the Ravens, Eagles, and 49ers, Russini identifies the Patriots and Commanders as teams pursuing pass rushers in the trade market. Specifically, New England is also a team who has been reportedly calling on Phillips in Miami.
Chiefs Could Be In Market For RBs
With Isiah Pacheco finding himself unavailable due to injury, the Chiefs are reportedly exploring the trade market options at the position, per Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated. There are several different options that could be attractive to Kansas City. 
While featured backs like Breece Hall and Alvin Kamara are seemingly on the market, the Chiefs haven’t really had a true featured back since Patrick Mahomes and Kareem Hunt‘s rookie year, when Hunt carried the ball 272 times and the next running back had 18 carries. Ever since that 2017 campaign, Kansas City hasn’t seen a 1,000-yard rusher, nor has it seen a single back dominate the team’s carries like Hunt did. The Chiefs have, instead, operated with a stable of backs, and that doesn’t seem likely to change now.
Even without Pacheco, there are familiar names of backs the team drafted years ago on the roster. Hunt has been RB2 in Kansas City after returning last year, and Clyde Edwards-Helaire is currently on the team’s practice squad. Behind Hunt, rookie seventh-round pick Brashard Smith and Elijah Mitchell sit on the active roster, though Mitchell has been inactive for every game this year. Hunt has mostly split carries with Pacheco in the run game, and Smith has established a role as a third-down back, utilizing his skills as a receiver, the position he originally played in college before transitioning to running back after transferring to SMU.
So, what kind of options fit in with Kansas City’s approach to the position? After taking a pay cut and watching two rookies pass him up on the depth chart, Jerome Ford could find his way to Kansas City via trade. In the same division, Justice Hill has been a staple in Baltimore since being drafted, mostly for working as if no job is too small. The Ravens have been making a concerted effort to find more touches for third-year back Keaton Mitchell, though, and with Derrick Henry as the featured rusher, Hill may be seen as superfluous in Baltimore’s backfield.
In the NFC, two recently demoted backs could be available. In Carolina, Chuba Hubbard missed some time due to injury and watched Rico Dowdle take the offense by storm and move into the starting role. Philadelphia traded for Tank Bigsby out of Jacksonville, relegating former Packers RB2 AJ Dillon to a fourth-string role. As a power back, Dillon probably makes the most sense to replace Pacheco in the rotation, but as a Super Bowl adversary in two of the past three years, the Eagles may not be super willing to make a trade that could improve the Chiefs this year.
Breer’s report came only this morning, so more clues may make headlines in the days to come indicating what direction Kansas City is looking in. News of Pacheco’s injury is only three days old itself, and there may be no need for a trade if his outlook improves in the next few days. For now, Hunt and Smith will take on larger roles in the backfield, and Mitchell may make his 2025 debut.
Eagles Could Address Pass Rush Before Trade Deadline
Since the start of training camp, the Eagles have already made seven trades as part of their efforts to repeat as Super Bowl champions, and according to multiple NFL sources, if a front office phone is ringing, chances are high that general manager Howie Roseman is on the other end looking for more. Atop the NFC East by 2.5 games with top performers at multiple positions, there is one area at which Philadelphia could see serious improvement. 
Per Zach Berman of The Athletic, “the obvious spot to watch” in Philadelphia is edge rusher. After losing top sack-getter Josh Sweat to free agency in the offseason, filling out the edge has been a focus of the front office. The Eagles didn’t sign a single multi-year deal in free agency but still added a few potential high-ceiling names in Joshua Uche, Azeez Ojulari, and Ogbo Okoronkwo. There were quite a few options in the draft, as well, and the team made an intriguing selection on Day 1, trading up a single spot to draft Alabama linebacker Jihaad Campbell.
In overall team rankings, Philadelphia has been pretty middle-of-the-road with its overall pass rush. Per Pro Football Reference, the Eagles’ 16 sacks are tied for 19th in the league, and the defense is 17th in overall pressures with 58. Many of these are not coming from the edge, though. Making up 10 of the team’s 16 sacks, are two defensive tackles, Moro Ojomo (4.0) and Jordan Davis (3.0), and inside linebacker Zack Baun (3.0). The team leader in quarterback hits is defensive tackle Jalen Carter (9), and Ojomo (6) is third on the team with Davis (4) and Baun (4) tying for fourth.
Second-year pass rusher Jalyx Hunt ranks second on the team in quarterback hits with eight, but he’s only amassed one sack in the first half of his sophomore campaign. Uche has spent the second-most time on the edge behind Hunt, but he, too, only has one sack to his name while only accounting for three quarterback hits. Okoronkwo suffered a triceps tear that may have ended his season after only four snaps in his only game of the year. Finally, third-year edge rusher Nolan Smith, who started three games across from Hunt to start the season, only tallied one quarterback hit while failing to notch a sack before landing on injured reserve with a pectoral injury.
The Eagles had also signed veteran pass rusher Za’Darius Smith, who still leads the position group with 1.5 sacks despite suddenly retiring a little over two weeks ago. Retirement giveth and taketh, though, as on the heels of Smith’s retirement, long-time Eagles veteran Brandon Graham came out of retirement to sign back on with the team. Graham may be more of a culture builder or locker room presence, though, considering his final two seasons in Philadelphia paled in comparison to his career-best 2022 campaign.
The rookie Campbell is an intriguing option at the position, as well. The 21-year-old came out of high school and started his career with the Crimson Tide as an edge rusher, only moving to off-ball linebacker due to injuries at the position. He played the 2023 season almost exclusively in that role but found more versatility in where he lined up throughout his final year with the team, spending increased time in his original position.
Due to this experience, there was a good amount of speculation in how he would be used in the NFL. It seemed early on that the Eagles would be willing to entertain his usage at both positions, but they started him as an off-ball linebacker, and he earned a starting role. According to Pro Football Focus (subscription required), Campbell has excelled in the role, ranking as the team’s second-best defender and the sixth-highest graded linebacker in the NFL, so it doesn’t appear likely he’ll be moving positions.
Hence why Berman has identified the position as one the team may target in the trade market. If they do move on a pass rusher, though, they can’t make any more small moves. They’ll need to target players who can move the needle as a consistent defensive presence. Berman is one of several reporters who have identified the Dolphins as a franchise Roseman should reach out to, along with Ralph Vacchiano of FOX Sports. Specifically, edge rushers Bradley Chubb and Jaelan Phillips were identified as targets in Miami.
Both player’s careers have ebbed and flowed as injuries have taken a toll on their consistent outputs. Chubb logged a career-high 12.0 sacks as a rookie in 2018 and didn’t see double digits again until he tallied 11.0 in his first full year in Miami. Chubb missed the entire 2024 campaign with a torn ACL but has looked strong this year with four sacks and seven quarterback hits. He has no guaranteed money left on his contract after this year, so he makes perfect sense as a half-year rental that may become a cap casualty after that.
After two strong seasons to start his career, Phillips was on pace for a 14.0-sack season in 2023 before tearing his Achilles tendon after eight games. Season-ending knee surgery would cut off his 2024 campaign after half as many games. Phillips has rebounded decently, as well, though, logging three sacks and seven quarterback hits so far this year. Phillips in currently playing out the fifth-year option of his rookie deal and could leave the team in free agency, with Miami getting nothing in return.
The Eagles aren’t the only ones interested in Chubb and Phillips, though. According to Cameron Wolfe of NFL Network, multiple teams have reached out with significant interest in the oft-injured pass rushing pair. Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated added recently that veteran pass rusher Matt Judon, wide receiver Jaylen Waddle, and safety Minkah Fitzpatrick have also been points of order on phone calls.
Per Breer, Miami has been steadfast in telling the team’s inquiring about Waddle “no” in no uncertain terms. He believes the team “may be more receptive” on Fitzpatrick, though. For the pass rushers, Wolfe claims the Dolphins’ front office has been hesitant, but with the trade deadline looming, their grip may loosen a bit. The asking price for Phillips is thought to be at least a third-rounder. There was some thought that, with general manager Chris Grier parting ways with the organization this morning, a fire sale of assets may take place, but interim general manager Champ Kelly is thought to be auditioning for a full-time role, so he’ll still be fairly strategic and judicial with any trade talks that take place, per CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones.
The Eagles are eager to deal, though. With an expectation of up to three compensatory draft picks in their future, there’s a chance Philadelphia could be sitting on 10 picks for the 2026 NFL Draft. Roseman is reportedly unafraid to trade those picks, and there’s even speculation players like wide receiver A.J. Brown and running back AJ Dillon could be available in packages, as well. Even if the Dolphins are playing hard ball with their most sought-after assets, the Eagles may be willing to play ball en route to a chance at back-to-back championships.
Bengals QB Joe Flacco Trending Towards Playing
The Bengals’ chances of sticking close enough to the playoff race for an eventual, hopeful Joe Burrow late-season return took a huge hit on Sunday, when the team gave the Jets their first win of the season. Making matters worse, backup quarterback Joe Flacco, who had breathed new life into the team, suffered a shoulder injury in the game that threatened his future availability. According to Kelsey Conway of The Cincinnati Enquirer, barring a setback leading up to Sunday, Flacco is expected to play. 
Following the injury, Bengals head coach Zac Taylor gave the 40-year-old passer a 50-50 chance at recovering in time to play in this weekend’s game. Flacco, though, reportedly “never let his mind think about not playing,” approaching the week with the mindset that his number would be called on Sunday. Essentially, until a point came in which a staffer or his body told him he couldn’t play, his plan was to return to the starting lineup for Sunday.
Taylor and Co. couldn’t function under that same mindset, not after giving him only a 50-50 chance. Jake Browning, the initial replacement starter for Burrow who was unseated after Cincinnati acquired Flacco, was given all the first-team reps in practice on Wednesday and Friday, in order to ensure that he would be ready in the case that Flacco couldn’t go. Flacco had voiced a desire to get some work in at least one practice to see if he could even throw with the shoulder injury. He was a limited participant Thursday, giving his shoulder plenty of time to rest up for Sunday.
“I feel pretty good,” Flacco told the media. “You don’t want to assume you’ll be able to throw and not really know. I wanted to go out there this week and feel good about what was going on.”
The result? Flacco’s analysis up to this point:
“I’ve never really talked about injuries before, so I don’t know what to say. I feel good.”
Taylor seemed to agree, saying that Flacco “did a nice job out there” and that the head coach had seen what he had hoped to see in order to believe Flacco would be able to play on Sunday. Both parties seemed to stop just short of committing to that point, emphasizing that the work over the next two days will be crucial in determining his availability.
Flacco will be QB1 for a walk-through tomorrow, and on Sunday, they’ll have Flacco go through his usual pre-game warmups. If there are no setbacks, the veteran passer will start the game under center for the Bengals. Otherwise, Cincinnati will have to put its fate in Browning’s hands, once again.
Ravens QB Lamar Jackson Expected Back In Week 9
OCTOBER 29: Jackson himself confirmed on Tuesday that he was back to 100% and would start in Miami, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. He was a full participant in the Ravens’ first two practices of the week and may not even have an injury designation for Thursday night’s matchup.
OCTOBER 26: Stop me if you’ve heard this before, but the Ravens expect that quarterback Lamar Jackson will make his return from injury in Week 9’s Thursday night trip to Miami, per Jay Glazer of FOX Sports. These reports come on the heels of a weekend of Jackson injury news that could land the franchise in a bit of hot water. 
Way back after Week 6 as the Ravens’ four-game losing streak brought them to 1-5, many assumed that Jackson (and several other injured Ravens) would be coming back after the team’s Week 7 bye. That proved mostly true, as Jackson’s “questionable” designation on the injury report was the only injury designation for any Baltimore player this week. Yet even that injury designation wasn’t exactly what it seemed.
The team had listed Jackson as a full participant at practice on Friday after planning a day of scout team reps for the mobile passer and seeing him complete the day with no issues. NFL regulations concerning injury reporting don’t allow this, though. If injury causes a player that would normally be getting starting reps to practice with the scout team, they have to be listed as a limited participant at practice. After notice from the league, Baltimore was forced to retroactively change Jackson’s practice participation, and the team announced that he would not play in Week 8’s game.
Perhaps, this was an honest mistake, as head coach John Harbaugh reiterated in comments to the media after today’s game, per Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic. Perhaps, it was a desperate attempt from a one-win team hoping to get any advantage possible by muddying the waters and keeping Chicago from knowing which quarterback it would be facing. After expressing hopes for two weeks that Jackson would return following their bye, it could certainly have been the latter, but that’s a matter for the NFL’s Management Council to determine.
Regardless, what makes this proclamation different from the ones for Week 8? According to Glazer, while Jackson may have been able to suit up for this weekend’s game, the Ravens were looking at a different benchmark. Because this weekend’s game will be so closely followed with an appearance on Thursday Night Football, Jackson needed to be at a place in which he would be fully confident playing two games in a five-day stretch. It was in the opinion of those involved that there was too high a risk of reinjury for him to play both games, so he was ruled out for Week 8 with an expectation to play back in his old digs in South Florida in Week 9.
With a short week providing fewer practices in which the team can gauge where Jackson is at, it will continue to be difficult to predict Jackson’s availability. Harbaugh certainly gave nothing away in today’s post-game press conference, merely telling reporters that “he’s hopeful that Lamar will play Thursday.”
The Ravens were able to pull off a win today with new backup quarterback Tyler Huntley. In his return to Baltimore, Huntley avoided turnovers, and the offense put up more points today (30) than they had in two games with Cooper Rush under center (13). This moves the team to 2-5 as they take the first of several steps necessary to make an improbable return to the playoffs. If Jackson can return in Miami Gardens, their chances for taking the next step will increase greatly.
Ravens Buyers Or Sellers At Trade Deadline?
As the NFL’s trade deadline approaches a week from today, franchises are taking a candid look in the mirror to determine if they are a few key pieces short of a championship roster or if now is the time for them to unload restrictive or burdensome contracts en route to a rebuild, big or small. At several different points in this young season, the Ravens have appeared to reflect both teams in that mirror. 
The team started as a Super Bowl favorite in the eyes of Vegas, coming in with one of the league’s more talented rosters. They came out the gates swinging, looking much like the class of the AFC they had been billed to be, before crashing back to reality at the hands of the team that had ended their season eight months prior. They rebounded with a win over former franchise quarterback Joe Flacco — who they’ll somehow get to play against two more times this regular season — but saw injuries derail their vaunted roster over the next several weeks.
Coming out of their Week 7 bye with a 1-5 record, the Ravens faced a crossroads. While the odds aren’t phenomenal, there have been multiple teams to come back from that same record to make the playoffs; a 1-6 record has only ever been overcome once in NFL history. This statistic put immense weight on the Ravens’ Week 8 game against the visiting Bears.
If the Raven ended up falling to Chicago, it was thought that they might begin to prepare for future seasons. Per Tony Pauline of Sportskeeda, with things looking dire, there were rumors Baltimore could look to move players on the final year of their contract. This likely wouldn’t include younger players expecting new deals in the future like center Tyler Linderbaum or tight end Isaiah Likely, but more likely would be the case for veterans like tight end Mark Andrews, wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins, or pass rusher Kyle Van Noy. It could also encompass young players who might price themselves out of Baltimore in free agency like defensive tackle Travis Jones.
After Lamar Jackson was ruled out for the weekend, though, a 1-6 record seemed a likely destination. Facing a team that came into town sporting the only offense in the NFL to put up at least 21 points in each game this season, the Ravens were averaging 6.5 points per game in contests without Jackson. Newly anointed QB2 Tyler Huntley had other ideas in mind, and Sunday’s victory may have forced general manager Eric DeCosta to shift strategies for the trade deadline.
According to Dianna Russini of The Athletic, the Ravens were already making calls concerning trades for a cornerback, even before their win changed their immediate outlook. Coming into the season, the new-look secondary was looking strong with Marlon Humphrey coming off a resurgent, first-team All-Pro season, first-rounder Nate Wiggins looking to take the next step, and newcome veterans Chidobe Awuzie and Jaire Alexander appearing to provide significant upgrades to the depth of the room.
Awuzie and Wiggins have certainly played their parts early in the season, but Humphrey has had perhaps the worst half of a season of his career. Pro Football Focus (subscription required) grades Humphrey as the 110th-best cornerback in the NFL out of 113 players graded at the position. And, though Alexander has not appeared on the injury report since Week 2 nor been put on any injury list, he has been inactive from Week 3 on.
Russini’s colleague at The Athletic, Jeff Zrebiec, helped identify pass rusher and offensive guard as two more areas of interest for the Ravens over the next week. Zrebiec saw the team’s Week 8 win, which put the ailing team just two games out of the division lead, as a strong indicator that Baltimore could look to make some acquisitions. If the team were to win again two days from now in Miami, Zrebiec would see that as a green light for DeCosta, who has a history of being aggressive this time of year, previously bringing in contributors like Roquan Smith and Marcus Peters.
Zrebiec focuses the possibilities on athletes Baltimore can realistically acquire, quickly ruling out Maxx Crosby, Trey Hendrickson, and other alike expensive stars whose names have frequented trade rumors. He also steers away from possibilities who wouldn’t provide enough of an upgrade over their current situation, avoiding options like Azeez Ojulari, Arden Key, Evan Neal, and Deonte Banks. Instead, he circles the names of players with tremendous upside who may have some limiting factor keeping their costs down. 
First, he suggests reunions with defensive lineman Calais Campbell and guard Kevin Zeitler. Despite the advanced age of both players — 35 years old for Zeitler and 39 years old for Campbell — each has maintained a high level of play since their respective departures from Baltimore. Upon their potential return, either lineman would immediately find their place on the first team.
Two pass rushers he identifies as likely are Jaelan Phillips and Jermaine Johnson — two 26-year-olds. Neither player will be as affordable on the trade market as the aforementioned veterans, but there are reasons Baltimore has a chance at acquiring each of them. Phillips and Johnson have both struggled with injuries in their young careers. When healthy, though, both players have shown impressive production, but their injury history has made their current teams skeptical about the idea of a long-term deal.
So, what can we expect from the Ravens in the coming days? If Baltimore loses Thursday night in Miami Gardens, that question becomes harder to predict. But if the Ravens show signs of heating up in the oddly still within reach AFC North, look for DeCosta to get aggressive in finding assets to help fix the team’s biggest weaknesses. Also, it wouldn’t be too much of a surprise is some of those veterans on contract years make their way into potential deals in order to lower Baltimore’s draft compensation.