Lamar Jackson knew taking the field against the Bills wasn’t going to be easy. He had just missed three games with an ankle injury, and even though he admitted he wasn’t entirely there, the quarterback wanted to give it a shot. “I’m always excited when I’m able to be back on the field with my guys. Put us in the win column, help us get another dub. That’s what I’m ready to do,” he said. Watching his team lose to the Browns and the Bengals had given him plenty of motivation.

What Jackson didn’t realize at the time was that a win would soon be the least of his concerns.

One snap. That’s all it took to shatter his hopes of getting the team back on track. But if anything could take the sting out of the Ravens’ last two losses, it’s the injury update the team released on Friday. Jackson had promised his teammates he would return before the season was over, and based on the update, there’s a good chance he can make it happen.

In the team’s statement, head coach Jesse Minter provided an update on Jackson’s recovery. “Lamar is doing well as he recovers from the broken and dislocated thumb injury he suffered in Week 8,” Minter said.

Jackson’s injury was serious. On the opening play, his right hand collided with Bills defensive end Gregory Rousseau as he tried to throw, and he left the game almost immediately. He was diagnosed with a broken and dislocated thumb that required surgery and a stint on injured reserve.

“Recovery timelines are challenging to predict, but injuries like this that require surgery typically take about 6-10 weeks to heal. He is doing everything he can to get back, and we will let his progress guide the timing of his return.”

Based on the Nov. 1 injury date, a six-to-10-week recovery would put Jackson’s potential return window between mid-December and early January. However, that’s only an estimate based on typical healing time, not a confirmed timetable.

And while the timeline would allow Jackson to return within 10 weeks, there’s another concern. A full recovery for the thumb can take up to six months, according to the Wexner Medical Center.

Either way, Jackson has made it clear to his teammates that he intends to return. Ian Rapoport, who reported on Jackson’s message, wrote, “‘Just stay alive’ was the paraphrase of Jackson’s message to the Ravens. According to those who spoke with the star quarterback, Jackson’s words were “energizing” and “exciting.” Previously, teammates had feared Jackson’s season was over.”

It’s easy to see why he’s so eager to return. The Ravens are 4-5, but if they can hold on over the next few weeks, they’ll still have a chance. With a bye in Week 13, Jackson could rejoin the team right before Baltimore takes on the Buccaneers.

This week, they face the winless Chargers. In Week 11, they take on the 3-5 Panthers, followed by the 3-5 Texans in Week 12. None of these games will be easy, but with steady quarterback play, the Ravens have a chance.

Jacoby Brissett performed well against the Chargers earlier this season, and if the Ravens can stay alive over the following two weeks, as Jackson put it, they’ll have a shot. However, Brissett has struggled with his accuracy this season. The games could go either way.

In the meantime, Minter made it clear in his statement that the team is focused on turning its season around. “We are committed to playing our best football over the second half of the season.”

The Ravens have lost four straight games, starting with their Week 6 defeat to the Cleveland Browns. They followed that with losses to the Cincinnati Bengals, Buffalo Bills and Jacksonville Jaguars, falling to 4-5 after a 4-1 start. But Minter has a plan, as he explained earlier in the week.

“We were able to take advantage of the extra time [of] really looking at ourselves in a self-analysis, self-scout mentality over the last few days. What can I do better? What can we do better as coaches? What can we do better as players? Then, when it comes to scheme, who we’re asking to do what, playing time, who do we have in the lineup – I mean, kind of everything, I would say. And now as the guys come back tomorrow, we’ll give a little bit of a reset to where we’re at with the guys tomorrow. We’ll be in a race to improve this week.”

Jackson’s recovery offers hope of a return this season, but Baltimore must first find a way to stay in contention without its most important offensive player. The next few games could determine how meaningful that recovery window becomes.