Joe Flacco‘s status remains up in the air after suffering a hip injury, but his week isn’t off to a positive start.
The Baltimore Ravens quarterback did not practice Wednesday, the team announced.
Coach John Harbaugh said earlier in the week that Flacco didn’t need to practice to start Sunday versus the Cincinnati Bengals, but it’s notable the veteran is missing the first day coming off a bye.
Harbaugh refused to hint at the quarterback plans this week.
“I don’t feel like we owe anybody answers. We’re just getting ready to play the game,” he said Wednesday prior to practice, per The Athletic’s Jeff Zrebiec.
“We’ll just see how it goes,” Harbaugh added.
Flacco injured his hip in the Ravens‘ Week 9 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers after he landed awkwardly on his knee early in the game.
Rookie Lamar Jackson has been the No. 2 quarterback all season and could get his first career start if Flacco can’t play Sunday. The Ravens could also decide to make Robert Griffin III active for the first time and give him the start under center if the coaching staff doesn’t feel Jackson is ready for a full workload yet.
The rookie, however, believes he’s equipped if called upon.
“I feel like I’d be very prepared,” Jackson said, via ESPN.com. “I’m trying to sponge everything in. Whatever happens, will happen.”
Jackson has been active in all nine games this season, participating in 84 offensive plays (13.1 percent). Most of his action has been as a runner or handing off on zone-read plays. Jackson has just 12 pass attempts for 87 yards and one touchdown toss (in a garbage-time blowout loss to the Carolina Panthers).
After struggling a bit during the preseason, Jackson believes he’s improved, especially handling the playbook.
“Before I had to ask coach 100 times, ‘Say it again, say it again,'” Jackson said. “Now, he’ll say it one time to me. Sometimes, don’t get me wrong, if it’s longer, I have to say, ‘Say it again.’ But, other than that, I’m getting better at that.”
In a season that is on the brink of floating into the abyss, will Harbaugh ask his rookie to be the life raft on Sunday?
