John Harbaugh Expects Tyler Huntley to Start for Ravens, Lamar Jackson Out on Sunday vs. Steelers

Earlier this week, Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh was extremely coy about the status of quarterback Lamar Jackson, but it now appears that the 2019 League MVP will be out against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday Night Football. Harbaugh said as much on Friday during an interview session with the Baltimore media.

“Yeah, I think we’re just gonna kind of stick with our plan,” Harbaugh said about Jackson missing another practice and Tyler Huntley starting. “Just go with the injury reports. It’s probably a fair assumption to assume that.

Ravens coach John Harbaugh said it’s a “fair assumption” that Tyler Huntley will start at QB Sunday against the Steelers.

Lamar Jackson has not practiced since injuring his knee on Dec. 4. pic.twitter.com/gnkIxa8Yic

— Jamison Hensley (@jamisonhensley) December 30, 2022

Jackson is expected to miss his fourth consecutive game since suffering a left knee injury on Dec. 4 against the Denver Broncos. According to Sarah Ellison of the Ravens Vault podcast, trainers believe Jackson is on-target for a 4-6 week recovery, which is normal for a sprained PCL knee injury. Some players have returned after three weeks, which Baltimore was hopeful for but didn’t want to push him given his position/style.

With Jackson likely out, it will be the fifth time he’s missed a game against the Steelers. Derek Carr, who’s not even in the division, has played more games (4) against the Steelers than Jackson (three as a starter).

In three starts, Huntley has completed 67 percent of his passes for 528 yards with one touchdown, two interceptions, and a quarterback rating of 76.6. He’s rushed for 113 yards on 36 attempts and one touchdown.

Huntley threw for only 88 yards in the Ravens’ Week 14 win over the Steelers before suffering a concussion midway through the third quarter. Anthony Brown replaced Huntley and Baltimore relied on their lethal rushing attack to pull off a narrow 16-14 win.

Sunday night will be the 14th time the Steelers and Ravens have played one another in prime time over an 18-year span. It will also be the 11th prime time matchup between Mike Tomlin and Harbaugh.