Well, the Chicago Bears might be avoiding disaster after all against the Baltimore Ravens in Week 8.
NFL insider Ian Rapoport reported that Jackson did practice fully in the final practice of the week for Baltimore, but his role was not with the starters on offense. Jackson was running the scout team, which usually indicates that he won't be ready to play.
Sources: #Ravens QB Lamar Jackson ran the scout team on Friday, an indication that the two-time MVP is a week away from returning despite having a full practice.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) October 25, 2025
Tyler “Snoop” Huntley, signed off the practice squad, would be in line to start vs. the #Bears if Jackson can’t go. pic.twitter.com/wrJEHNcVlv
Instead, it looks like the Bears' defense will face Tyler Huntley, who is set to make his first start of the season but his 15th overall. Bears head coach Ben Johnson had said the team was prepping all week with Jackson in mind at quarterback, but it doesn't look that way.
Bears might have caught a massive break with potentially no Jackson in the game
It was a rough week for the injury report for the Bears, as cornerbacks Kyler Gordon and Tyrique Stevenson were both ruled out of the game with injuries. Jaylon Johnson is still out, so that leaves the Bears low at cornerback with their top three cornerbacks out.
That's a massive plus for the Bears' secondary, as while Huntley has a nice arm, he isn't as good in the pocket as Jackson is. Chicago will rely more on its defensive line, led by Montez Sweat, to apply pressure on Huntley and keep him in the pocket.
Bears defensive coordinator Dennis Allen has been focused on making sure they focus on Ravens running back Derrick Henry and slowing him down. Chicago got good news with defensive tackle Grady Jarrett returning from injury for the first time since Week 3 against the Dallas Cowboys, so the Bears' rush defense gets better up front.
Watch for Chicago to lean on its front seven more to create turnovers and set up its offense. With an NFL-leading 16 turnovers created this season, the Bears have to make sure the goal is to get at least three turnovers, the same minimum they have had in their winning streak.
Read more: Dennis Allen puts on the professor hat to explain Bears' success with turnovers
The Ravens are still favored to win at home despite Jackson being out, but the Bears are still on their four-game winning streak. Their chances of picking up that fifth win just got better for Chicago.