Lamar Jackson is finally on the verge of returning to the field.
The Baltimore Ravens' two-time MVP quarterback is slated to play on Thursday night against the Miami Dolphins to open up Week 9.
Jackson has missed three games (and the bye week) with his hamstring injury. Cooper Rush lost two of those games, but Tyler Huntley just won the most recent one.
There's been a lot of noise around the Ravens, who entered the year as Super Bowl favorites but are now just 2-5.
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With the trade deadline looming Nov. 4, the Ravens are in an odd spot. They likely believe they can make a run with a healthy Jackson, but there's also a lot of ground to make up. What side of the buyer-seller coin do they fall on? It's hard to say.
Thursday night's game could go a long way toward determining Baltimore's plans before the deadline.
Jackson was asked about all the different narratives, and he isn't thinking about them.
The superstar gave a four-word answer to reporters on Tuesday: "I'm focused on winning."
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Fair enough. No one would expect Jackson to say much else, or even to be thinking much else.
He's been out long enough. He's likely anxious to finally just retake the field and prove he's still the superstar everyone knows him to be.
And at this point, all the Ravens' players can do is think about winning one week at a time. They can't make up a multi-game deficit in one week, but they can do it incrementally. It's up to Jackson to lead them in that pursuit.
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