Lamar Jackson took what appears to be a significant step forward Thursday, as he was in uniform and on the field at the start of Ravens practice.
Jackson was a limited participant Wednesday and was not out there at the start of practice. A day later, he was at the front of the Ravens' quarterback line during individual drills.
It's a shot of optimism for Jackson's chances of playing in a key divisional game Sunday against the Cincinnati Bengals at M&T Bank Stadium.
"Any time he's out there, it kind of elevates the whole group," Offensive Coordinator Declan Doyle said. "We're certainly excited about the direction that he's heading. He's still got a lot of work to do in order to be able to play on Sunday, but he's really working at it behind the scenes.
"It's great having him in the meeting room, and it's another thing to be able to have him out there on the field with us and continuing to push and his teammates seeing him push and all that stuff."
It's the first time Jackson has been on the field at the start of practice since he suffered an ankle injury on Oct. 4 versus the Tennessee Titans.
The only two Ravens who were not spotted at Thursday's start of practice were safety Jaylinn Hawkins (ankle) and outside linebacker Tavius Robinson (pectoral). Hawkins was a limited participant Wednesday.
If the Ravens don't have those two defensive starters, it could mean more time for rookie outside linebacker Zion Young and safety Keondre Jackson, who has not seen a defensive snap yet this season.
