Report: Lamar Jackson is expected to return Sunday

Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson has not played since Oct. 4, missing the past three games with a high ankle sprain.

Ravens coach Jesse Minter on Monday expressed optimism about Jackson’s availability for Sunday, and Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reports that Jackson is expected to return this week.

Then again, Jackson was trending toward playing last week.

He was limited in all three practices and initially questionable to play. Jackson was inactive for Sunday’s game, a 35-13 loss to the Bengals.

Minter would not confirm a CBS pregame report that Jackson woke up Saturday with increased swelling in his injured left ankle.

The Ravens are 1-2 without Jackson, having averaged 17.7 points and 328.3 yards per game.

“Lamar’s 1-of-1, right? Two-time MVP, obviously a high-caliber player, but I just don’t like the built-in excuse of why things are going a certain way,” Minter said Monday, via Jamison Hensley of ESPN. “So while we know the caliber of player Lamar is and the numbers when he’s out there versus when he’s not, we understand all that. That’s why he’s who he is and why he’s won the awards that he’s won, but we can still operate better in those times where we don’t have him for sure.”