Ravens Place Lamar Jackson and Tyler Huntley on Injured Reserve

Ravens Place Lamar Jackson and Tyler Huntley on Injured Reserve

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Ravens Place Lamar Jackson, Tyler Huntley on IR, Roster Shakeup Imminent

The Baltimore Ravens are staring down the barrel of a quarterback crisis. Head coach Jesse Minter confirmed the worst on Thursday, officially placing the heart and soul of the franchise, Lamar Jackson, and his primary backup, Tyler Huntley, on the injured reserve list. The move, reported by nbc sports, caps off a brutal week for the Ravens, who have now lost three straight games and see their playoff hopes hanging by a thread.

The sheer magnitude of this personnel hit is staggering. Jackson, the two-time NFL MVP, suffered a right thumb injury on the very first offensive snap of last Sunday’s 36-10 loss to the Buffalo Bills. He had only just returned from missing three games with an ankle injury. Huntley, stepping in for the injured Jackson, then suffered a toe injury in the same contest, forcing the team to turn to undrafted rookie Joe Fagnano. As baltimoreravens.com reports, Huntley’s injury is deemed a season-ending turf toe, while Jackson’s status remains uncertain pending surgery. “I think it’ll be at some point here that we know that for a final sure,” Minter said of Jackson’s prognosis, leaving a cloud of doubt over the remainder of the 26-year-old’s season.

Baltimore Ravens lose Lamar Jackson, Tyler Huntley in Week 8 loss to Bills | Pro Football Talk

Uncharted Territory: The Quarterback Room in Flux

With their top two signal-callers gone, the Ravens are now playing a stretch of games with a collection of players who have combined for a grand total of 89 career passing yards and zero touchdowns. The immediate response was a series of roster moves designed to simply field a team. The team signed Austin Reed to the 53-man roster. He was a familiar face, having spent training camp in Baltimore before being cut in final roster cuts. He was brought back to the practice squad on Monday and is now the most experienced option behind Fagnano, who will make his first career start Thursday night against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Reed is not alone. notes that Baltimore also signed Kedon Slovis off the Green Bay Packers’ practice squad this week. The trio of Fagnano, Reed, and Slovis represents a complete overhaul of the quarterback room. While Fagnano is the expected starter, head coach Jesse Minter has not yet named a definitive backup. This uncertainty comes as the Ravens are reportedly finalizing a trade with the Arizona Cardinals for veteran quarterback Jacoby Brissett, a move that would add a significant dose of experience. However, as baltimoreravens.com clarifies, Brissett wouldn’t be in line to make his debut until Monday, November 16th, against the Los Angeles Chargers.

Jesse Minter said that the Ravens have a group of players ready to step up and compete, a statement that carries the weight of both hope and necessity.

The Hidden Cost to Special Teams and Roster Depth

The quarterback crisis is not the only issue plaguing the Ravens. The team also used standard practice squad elevations for Thursday night’s game, bringing up kicker Jake Moody and outside linebacker Adisa Isaac. Moody, a former San Francisco 49er, will now handle the kicking duties after rookie Tyler Loop was placed on injured reserve with a right groin injury. His elevation provides a crucial, experienced leg during a critical part of the season. Isaac, a former Penn State standout, adds depth to a defense that needs to generate more consistent pressure on opposing quarterbacks to help out their new, inexperienced quarterbacks.

QB Tyler Huntley (left) and QB Lamar Jackson (right)
Photo: baltimoreravens.com

These moves highlight the cascading effect of injuries. The Ravens enter the matchup against Jacksonville at 4-4, a record that looks respectable on paper but feels precarious given the circumstances. The next four games—against the Jaguars, Chargers, Panthers, and Texans—represent a brutal gauntlet. Under NFL rules, neither Jackson nor Huntley can return until they have missed at least four games, a timeline that conveniently aligns with the team’s Week 13 bye. But the real question is whether the Ravens can survive that long.

For a franchise built on the dual-threat brilliance of Lamar Jackson, this is a fundamental test of its identity. The team’s success has been intrinsically tied to his ability to dominate with both his arm and his legs. Now, they must prove they can win a different way. The pressure, both on the young quarterbacks and on the coaching staff to build a simplified, effective game plan, is immense. Thursday night is not just another game; it’s an audition. It’s a referendum on the team’s depth, its coaching, and perhaps, its very future without its MVP.

More on Tyler Huntley

Baltimore Ravens Lose Lamar Jackson & Tyler Huntley In One Half — Is The Lamar Era Over
Lamar Jackson to Injured Reserve: Ravens Season in Danger?
Bills cruise past injury-riddled Ravens | Lamar Jackson will need surgery, heads to IR

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