Lamar Jackson Misses Wednesday Practice as Ravens Play the Waiting Game

The NFL's "day-to-day" injury designation is basically a medical witness protection program, and Lamar Jackson is currently its highest-profile resident. According to Adam Schefter, the Baltimore Ravens quarterback was nowhere to be found at the start of Wednesday’s practice.

Missing a Wednesday session is usually just veteran maintenance, but this one actually sets off the alarms. Jackson is still nursing an ankle injury he picked up back in Week 4 against the Tennessee Titans, which already forced him to watch last week's overtime win against the Atlanta Falcons in sweatpants.

"Adam Schefter tweeted: 'No sign of Ravens QB Lamar Jackson at the start of Wednesday’s practice.'"

Head coach Jesse Minter claims his star quarterback is working his butt off and has a realistic chance to suit up this weekend. But coaches talking about injuries on a Wednesday have about the same truth-telling batting average as a politician in an election year.

The good news for Baltimore is that the sky is not currently falling. The Ravens are sitting comfortably at 4-1, which gives them the luxury of actually letting their franchise cornerstone heal instead of rushing him back onto the field to save the season.

It also helps that their backup refuses to lose. Tyler Huntley stepped in against Atlanta and kept the ship steady, pushing his record to a flawless 3-0 in starts dating back to the beginning of last season.

This entire situation is a nightmare for anyone trying to handicap Sunday's divisional clash against the Cleveland Browns. Sportsbooks are going to treat this game like radioactive material until there is actual visual evidence of Jackson throwing a football.

For now, the Ravens can afford to play the waiting game. If Jackson cannot get that ankle right by Friday, expect Huntley to take the snaps in Cleveland while Baltimore protects its most valuable asset for the long haul.