Lamar Jackson hits injured reserve and Week 9's quarterback picture keeps changing
Baltimore put both its quarterbacks on injured reserve, Minnesota turned to Carson Wentz for Monday night, and Seattle's Drew Lock is starting again. The returns matter too.
- The Ravens placed Lamar Jackson and Tyler Huntley on injured reserve on Thursday, and both will miss a minimum of four games. m:…2934
- Undrafted rookie Joe Fagnano will make his first career start on Thursday night against the Jacksonville Jaguars. m:…2934
- Carson Wentz will start for Minnesota on Monday night against the 6-1 Bills, with Kyler Murray sidelined by a hamstring strain. m:…0638
- Breece Hall is expected to play on Sunday against the Kansas City Chiefs after missing time since a quad injury in Week 3. m:…4532
- Denver safety Talanoa Hufanga returned to limited practice after an ankle injury in Week 5 against the Chargers. m:…4745
Baltimore's week got worse
The Ravens placed starting quarterbacks Lamar Jackson and Tyler Huntley on injured reserve on Thursday, and both will miss a minimum of four games. Jackson suffered a right thumb injury and Huntley a toe injury, and Huntley's injury is reportedly a season-ending turf toe. m:…2934
Head coach Jesse Minter confirmed Jackson has not yet undergone surgery for his thumb injury as of Tuesday. Undrafted rookie Joe Fagnano will make his first career start on Thursday night against the Jacksonville Jaguars, while the team is reportedly finalizing a trade for veteran Jacoby Brissett, who would be eligible to make his debut on November 16 against the Los Angeles Chargers. m:…2934
The Ravens also signed quarterback Austin Reed to the 53-man roster. The churn extends beyond quarterback: the team elevated kicker Jake Moody from the practice squad to replace Tyler Loop, who is on injured reserve with a right groin injury. m:…2934
Two more quarterback changes
Minnesota quarterback Kyler Murray will miss the Monday Night Football game against the Bills due to a hamstring strain. Head coach Kevin O'Connell confirmed Murray is week-to-week, with Carson Wentz named as the starter for the prime-time contest and Max Brosmer serving as the backup quarterback. m:…0638
The Vikings are 6-1 heading into the game against the 6-1 Bills, so the change comes in a matchup between two of the league's best records. The team is also managing other personnel updates, including a quad injury for safety Theo Jackson, who will not participate in Thursday's practice, while left tackle Christian Darrisaw will practice. m:…0638
In Seattle, Drew Lock confirmed he is healthy and prepared to start in Week 9 against the Cardinals, and he expects to take every practice rep during the week leading up to the game. Lock praised Sam Howell for playing through an arm injury for several weeks earlier in the season, and said his own preparation process is more efficient now than it was for his first start earlier in the season. m:…3124
The other direction: players coming back
Not every Week 9 move is a loss. Jets running back Breece Hall is expected to be back in the backfield for the Week 9 matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs, after being sidelined since Week 3 with a quad injury. Hall was a full participant in practice on Thursday, November 5, and offensive coordinator Frank Reich plans to use a mix of Hall and rookie Braelon Allen in the backfield. m:…4532
Allen has rushed for 504 yards since Week 4, including a career-high 147 rushing yards against the Raiders, and has amassed over 100 yards from scrimmage in four consecutive games. Hall recorded 102 yards in the season opener against the Titans, and rushed for over 1,000 yards in the 2025 season, so the Jets are getting their lead back into a rotation that has already been producing. m:…4532
Denver safety Talanoa Hufanga returned to practice on a limited basis for the Broncos ahead of their Week 9 matchup against the Panthers, his first practice since suffering an ankle injury in Week 5 against the Los Angeles Chargers. Hufanga has recorded two interceptions, including one pick-six, across five games this season, along with three passes defensed, one sack, 23 tackles, three tackles for loss and one quarterback hit. m:…4745
The Broncos also upgraded Zach Allen and Courtland Sutton to full participants after being limited on Wednesday, while Pat Bryant and Jaylen Waddle remained full participants. Kris Abrams-Draine, Brandon Jones and Eyioma Uwazurike did not practice for the second consecutive day, and the Broncos will announce game statuses for Week 9 on Friday. m:…4745
What the pattern means
The pattern of the week is that depth charts are doing the deciding. Baltimore is down to an undrafted rookie, Minnesota is turning to a veteran backup for a game between two 6-1 teams, and Seattle is going back to a quarterback who has already started once this season. The trade deadline may still move names around, but the lineups for this weekend are being set by who is healthy. m:…2934 m:…0638 m:…3124
The returns cut the other way and matter just as much. A healthy Hall changes what the Jets can do in the backfield, and a healthy Hufanga changes what the Broncos can do on defense. Week 9, in other words, will be decided in part by the training room, and the teams that get players back may gain as much as the teams that lose them. m:…4532 m:…4745
What is still unresolved
- Whether Lamar Jackson requires surgery for his thumb injury.
- Whether the reported Jacoby Brissett trade to Baltimore is confirmed.
- A specific return date for Kyler Murray.
- Denver's final game designations for Week 9, due on Friday.
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