Why isn’t Lamar Jackson playing for the Ravens against the Texans in Week 5?
The Baltimore Ravens will look to quarterback Cooper Rush as their star watches from the sidelines on Sunday when they take on the Houston Texans.
The Baltimore Ravens are facing the Houston Texans this Sunday looking for just their second win of the season. Unfortunately, that’ll be an uphill battle as they will have to do so without their starting quarterback Lamar Jackson, who’s been ruled out of the game.
Ravens QB Lamar Jackson (hamstring) out Sunday vs Texans. pic.twitter.com/SAHdBDSGYF
— NFL (@NFL) October 3, 2025
What injury does Lamar Jackson have and when will he play again for the Ravens?
During the Ravens’ Week 4 game against the Kansas City Chiefs, Jackson suffered a hamstring injury late in the third quarter. He did not return to the game, and they ended up losing 37-20. This will mark Lamar’s first missed game since 2023.
Baltimore, off to a disappointing 1-3 start despite Super Bowl expectations, has struggled against top contenders and currently fields one of the NFL’s worst defenses, allowing 33.3 points per game. Injuries are compounding the struggles, with Nnamdi Madubuike out for the year, and Roquan Smith, Marlon Humphrey, and potentially Kyle Hamilton sidelined. While tight end Mark Andrews insists the team will keep fighting, the Ravens’ championship hopes are slipping further away without their MVP quarterback.
Ravens now have ruled out six players, including Lamar Jackson. pic.twitter.com/5D9VNRpyfa
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 3, 2025
Backup Cooper Rush will start Sunday against the Texans. Rush had 14 starts as a backup to Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott and went 9-5 in those games with 3,463 passing yards for 20 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.
The Ravens will face the Los Angeles Rams next week before they head into a bye week, so if Jackson misses two games (which seems likely), then he’ll have an extra week to recover before they face the Chicago Bears in Week 8.
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