In all but 1 season since he became the starting quarterback for the Baltimore Ravens in 2019, Lamar Jackson has missed time due to injuries.
It’s a sad truth for 1 of the NFL’s best players and a 2-time NFL MVP, and it seems like it could define whatever the Ravens are trying to do in 2026.
Sports Illustrated’s Matt Verderame called out Jackson’s propensity for getting hurt — he missed 4 games in 2025 — in a recent column.
“Another team with a new coach, and the Ravens’ top eight players are as good as anybody’s in the NFL,” Verderame wrote. “If Lamar Jackson is healthy, this is a dangerous team. The roster behind those eight players is severely lacking in multiple areas, Jesse Minter is stepping into an aging team, and Jackson has been hurt three of the past five years.”
Not only has Jackson been hurt a lot in the past, but he’s also been paid a lot and is about to get paid a lot more.
Currently playing on the 5-year, $260 million contract extension he signed in April 2023, Jackson’s next contract is expected to make him the highest-paid player in NFL history and exceed the 4-year, $240 million contract signed by Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott.
Lamar Jackson Called ‘Worst Version’ in 2025
There was little appealing about what Jackson put on the field in 2025 as the Ravens entered the season as Super Bowl favorites but finished 8-9 and missed the playoffs.
The Athletic’s Jeff Howe called Jackson the “worst version” of himself as the face during a 3-game stretch without a passing or rushing touchdown for the first time in his career.
“Usually, it’s a few things going wrong at once, among which could be Jackson playing through a more serious injury than anyone realizes,” Howe wrote on December 9. “The 28-year-old missed three games this season with a hamstring injury, but he has also missed recent practices due to ankle and toe ailments … from a preseason Super Bowl favorite to a team that’s currently outside the playoff picture, the Ravens have been one of the NFL’s most disappointing teams in 2025. But just like the case with Jackson, injuries can only excuse so much.”
After the season, the Ravens decided to part ways with Super Bowl-winning head coach John Harbaugh after 18 seasons — and a final few years in which he and Jackson seemed to communicate less and less.
Jackson’s Fake Injury Report Cost Ravens $100K
Midway through the season, and with Jackson already struggling with injuries, the Ravens went into a Friday practice listed as a full participant — indicating he would play in Week 8 against the Chicago Bears — but instead he was limited in Saturday’s practice and didn’t play in a win over the Bears.
That cost the Ravens a $100,000 fine from the NFL for violating the league’s injury report policy. It also led to a lot of questions about how much Jackson was communicating with his coaches.
“Do (Ravens head coach) John Harbaugh and Lamar Jackson even talk to each other?” Fox Sports host Nick Wright asked during an appearance on “The Bill Simmons Podcast” on December 11. ” … Harbaugh was like ‘We’re going to have our quarterback (against the Bears).’ Then he doesn’t come back. And when he does come back he has all these little random injuries that cause him to sit out practices and he’s not the same player he was … I think Lamar is over all of it and he’s checked out and he’s ready for a new regime.”
Aging Team, Always Hurt: Sports Illustrated Puts Ravens & Lamar Jackson on Blast