Getty Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson is carted off the field after suffering an ankle injury against the Cleveland Browns.
Baltimore Ravens fans can breath a huge sigh of relief, as head coach John Harbaugh gave a positive update on star quarterback Lamar Jackson’s ankle injury during a press conference on December 13.
Jackson suffered a scary ankle injury against the Cleveland Browns on December 12 and had to be carted off the field.
“Lamar has an ankle sprain. It’s not a high ankle sprain, which is good news,” said Harbaugh, who even projected that Jackson could start the Ravens’ next game on December 19.
The official diagnosis confirms the projection of David J. Chao, a former head team doctor for the then-San Diego Chargers.
“The plans are right now, in my mind, for Lamar to be out there,” said Harbaugh, “So we’ll see where it goes this week.”
Harbaugh did caution that Jackson’s availability will likely be up in the air for most of the week, telling media,
“If he can go, he’ll go, and if not, [backup quarterback Tyler Huntley] will be the quarterback,” he concluded.
Reporters attempted to squeeze more details on Jackson’s injury out of Harbaugh, but he was clear that Jackson’s status will be up in the air for most of the week.
“We’ll just have to see what it is from there, and how he feels this week going forward,” said Harbaugh, who called a question about Jackson’s availability to practice on December 15 “unanswerable.”
Another reporter made note of past games in which Jackson has appeared to tweak his ankle, asking if his ankle sprain was an aggravation of a past injury.
“Not that I’m aware of,” answered Harbaugh, who has demonstrated a dislike for questions about Jackson’s durability in the past.
Campbell Injury Update
Harbaugh also provided updates on a few other players who suffered injuries vs. the Browns, telling reporters that injuries to defensive end Calais Campbell and wide receiver Sammy Watkins were not thought to be significant.
“Calais has a soft tissue injury,” said Harbaugh, “We’ll see how that looks this week.”
Campbell left the field with a thigh injury in the first quarter and was listed as questionable to return, via the Ravens’ Twitter account. Though he did briefly return to the game in the first half, he ultimately sat out the entire second half.
Campbell has been a force on the Baltimore defense in 2021, recording Pro Football Focus’s fifth-best grade by an interior defensive lineman this season. His absence against a red-hot Green Bay Packers offense next week could be a devastating blow to the Ravens.
Harbaugh Explains Watkins’ Absence
Wide receiver Sammy Watkins was also absent for most of the game, with Harbaugh telling media that Watkins was dealing with a knee injury.
“Sammy’s knee was bothering him, he just didn’t feel like he could go on it,” explained Harbaugh.
Watkins was able to play 23 snaps on offense, but was a non-factor during the Ravens’ second-half comeback attempt.
Watkins has already dealt with one injury this season, hurting his hamstring against the Indianapolis Colts in Week 5. That held him out for a few games, with the veteran wideout eventually making his return against the Miami Dolphins in Week 11.
Ravens rookie wide receiver Rashod Bateman, who shone in Watkins’ absence earlier this season, did so once again, recording 103 yards on seven catches and was one questionable call short of his first NFL touchdown.