BALTIMORE — For the first time in 28 days, Lamar Jackson will play a football game.

Ravens coach Jesse Minter said Friday that the two-time NFL Most Valuable Player will return to action Sunday against the Buffalo Bills at Highmark Stadium. Jackson, who practiced fully for a third straight day Friday in Owings Mills, has missed the past three games with a sprained left ankle.

“[I’m] excited,” Jackson said. “[I want to] put us in the win column [and] help us get another dub.

“I feel like I’m no longer a statue. I’m able to move around a little better, so I can give it a shot.”

It will mark the 29-year-old’s first contest since suffering what he said was a high-ankle sprain late in the second quarter of an Oct. 4 game against the Tennessee Titans. Baltimore (4-3) is 1-2 this season with backup quarterback Tyler “Snoop” Huntley.

The Ravens have averaged 328.3 yards and 17.7 points per game in that span. In the three games Jackson started and finished, the Ravens have averaged 398.7 yards and 30.7 points.

Jackson also acknowledged Friday that he still feels pain in his ankle when he plants his left foot, but said that it’s “bearable.”

Minter added that Jackson is in a position to play “Lamar Jackson football.”

His return also sets up a marquee matchup of two of the game’s best quarterbacks.

Josh Allen leads the NFL with 17 total touchdowns, as do his 240 rushing yards among quarterbacks and eight rushing touchdowns. The 2024 NFL MVP has also completed 66.7% of his passes for 1,504 yards with nine touchdown passes and four interceptions, and his 8.8 yards per attempt is the most among qualifying quarterbacks.

Jackson has completed 70.8% of his passes for 967 yards and six touchdowns with one interception in 3 1/2 games this season. He was also averaging 10.1 yards per attempt before getting injured.

However, the Ravens are just 2-4, including playoffs, against the Bills during Jackson’s starting tenure, second only to their 1-6 mark against the Kansas City Chiefs. Buffalo has also won three straight at home against the Ravens.

Jackson said Friday that he didn’t play last week because he woke up with swelling in his ankle on Saturday, which led the Ravens to downgrade him to out less than 24 hours before their game against the Cincinnati Bengals.

Teammates this week said, however, that his return will help significantly, though they added they can’t rely solely on Jackson to rescue them.

Baltimore is obviously much better when he plays. Since he took over as the full-time starter in 2019, the Ravens are 76-35 and average 28 points per game, compared to 7-14 and 17.6 points per game without him.

Despite the long layoff, the belief is there won’t be any rust.

“I think he’ll look like Lamar Jackson,” Minter said. “I think he’s just done such a good job dealing with the injury and doing things to help it get better and get better and get better.”

There has also been a good amount of discourse on social media and beyond questioning Jackson during his absence, and the quarterback didn’t miss it.

Asked what he would say to those who question whether he should play injured, he replied, “Why would you second-guess me?”

Now the Ravens hope his return will help end a two-game losing skid. After losses to the Bengals and Cleveland Browns in the past two weeks, in which Baltimore was outscored 48-0 in the second half, the Ravens have dropped to last place in the AFC North.

The Bills (5-1) lead the NFL in scoring, are coming off a bye and haven’t lost at home to Baltimore since Jackson’s rookie year.

“The sense of urgency is extremely high,” Jackson said. “We’re trying to get back to where we should be.”

The Bills’ defense also ranks 31st against the pass and total yards allowed and 30th in points allowed.

Expectations are high for Jackson, and the Ravens believe his return will provide a much-needed lift.

“With his success and obviously the type of player that he is, that would give any team, I think, a jolt like that,” Minter added. “I think we’ll see a great version of Lamar.”

Injury report

The Ravens ruled out guard Vega Ioane (knee) despite the rookie getting two days of limited practice following an MCL sprain suffered against the Bengals. They also ruled out safety Jaylinn Hawkins (knee).

Cornerback T.J. Tampa Jr. (knee) and rookie running back Adam Randall (neck), both designated to return from injured reserve, practiced in full again Friday but are questionable. The Ravens have until 4 p.m. Saturday to add them to the active roster.

The Bills listed several players as questionable: cornerback Dee Alford (ankle), linebacker Joe Andreessen (knee), right tackle Spencer Brown (back), defensive lineman Greg Gaines (calf), tight end Dalton Kincaid (chest), wide receiver DJ Moore (shoulder) and outside linebacker TJ Parker (knee).

Of that group, Alford was the only one not to practice Friday.

©2026 Baltimore Sun. Visit baltimoresun.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.