Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson has been ruled out for Sunday’s game against the Houston Texans due to a hamstring injury, the team has announced. It will be his first game missed due to injury since the 2023 season.

Pro Bowl safety Kyle Hamilton is among other Ravens who will miss Week 5. Cooper Rush will get the start at quarterback.

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Jackson suffered the hamstring injury late in Sunday’s 37-20 loss to the Kansas Chiefs and did not practice at all this week. News of Jackson’s extended absence threatens to further spiral a season that started with Super Bowl expectations, but is off to a 1-3 start.

The Ravens opened the season blowing a 15-point fourth-quarter lead in a 41-40 loss to fellow Super Bowl hopefuls in the Buffalo Bills. They’ve since lost to the Detroit Lions and now the Chiefs, teams that are also expected to compete for a championship.

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While they’ve played arguably the most difficult schedule in the league, failure to beat any of their fellow contenders has put a significant damper on the season outlook in Baltimore.

Their defense has been vulnerable against the run and susceptible to big plays. Baltimore’s allowing an NFL-worst 33.3 points per game and ranks 31st out of 32 teams with 406.8 yards allowed per game.

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Now injuries to Jackson and others are exacerbating the poor start.

“Everybody here in this organization, we’re all fighters,” said Ravens tight end Mark Andrews this week. “We’ve been through adversity. We know what that looks like, and there’s no quit in this group, and we’re excited to show the world that.”

Jackson, of course, is integral to Baltimore’s hopes of winning. A two-time MVP and three-time All-Pro, he’s the primary reason the Ravens are expected to compete for a championship.

And his is not the only injury of significance in Baltimore. Pro Bowl defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike is out for the season with a neck injury. All-Pro Linebacker Roquan Smith (hamstring) and All-Pro cornerback Marlon Humphrey (calf) are expected to miss multiple weeks with injuries.

It adds up to a situation that’s gone from bad to worse in Baltimore.