Lamar Jackson says he's 'heading in the right direction' for potential return vs. Bengals

Baltimore’s offense could be back at full strength soon as Jackson progresses toward a possible return against Cincinnati

Lamar Jackson returned to practice this week and says he The Baltimore Ravens could be on the verge of getting their starting quarterback back in the lineup. Lamar Jackson, who has missed the last two-and-a-half games due to an ankle injury, said on Friday that he is hopeful to play on Sunday against the division rival Cincinnati Bengals. "Right now, I'm heading in the right direction," Jackson said. "I can't call it right now. I've still got a little grace period. So, we'll see man. Hopefully, but I feel like I'm heading in the right direction right now." Ravens coach Jesse Minter said that Jackson got a "pretty good amount of work in" during Friday's practice after he was limited on Wednesday and Thursday, but stated that the team is "still working through" whether or not Jackson will play on Sunday.

For his part, Jackson said the Ravens' medical staff told him he is dealing with a high ankle sprain, per The Athletic, which he seemingly sustained on the final play of the first half of the Ravens' victory over the Tennessee Titans back in Week 4. Jackson has been described as "day-to-day" since the injury, but this week was the first time he has participated in practice since going down. He said on Friday that he doesn't have to