The Baltimore Ravens got a scare in the first half against the New England Patriots, with 2-time NFL MVP quarterback Lamar Jackson taken to the locker room with a back injury toward the end of the first half in Week 16.
Jackson returned to the sideline in street clothes and was ruled out officially with just under 2 minutes left in the third quarter and watched as his team lost, 28-24, to put a massive dent in their playoff hopes.
Earlier this season, Jackson missed 3 games with a hamstring injury.
“Lamar Jackson has been ruled OUT with a back injury,” Fox Sports NFL wrote on X.
Against the Patriots, Jackson appeared to injure his back running the ball and stretching for extra yards with 1:16 left in the second quarter.
The Patriots and Ravens were tied 10-10 at halftime, with backup quarterback Tyler Huntley coming on to fill in for Baltimore on the final series of the first half.
The Ravens scored on the third series of the second half on an 18-yard touchdown run by Zay Flowers for a 17-13 lead with 4:35 remaining in the third quarter.
Season to Forget for Superstar QB
Jackson’s battle against injuries this season has reflected the Ravens’ struggle to stay in the playoff hunt — they started the season 1-5 and are now 6-7 after 2 consecutive losses to AFC North rivals with the Cincinnati Bengals and Pittsburgh Steelers.
The story of Jackson’s season isn’t just about injuries, though. It’s more than that. There’s now questions about how well he communicates with his team and with his coaches about how hurt he is, exactly, and if he’s even invested in what head coach John Harbaugh is trying to accomplish after entering the season as Super Bowl contenders.
“Do (Ravens head coach) John Harbaugh and Lamar Jackson even talk to each other?” Fox Sports host Nick Wright said during an appearance on “The Bill Simmons Podcast” on Thursday, 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.”
Ravens Could Hand Jackson Record-Setting Contract
ESPN’s Jamison Hensley recently listed Jackson as the top contract extension candidate on the Ravens, predicting he’ll become the highest paid player in the NFL for the second time in his career.
Jackson is playing on a 5-year, $260 million contract he signed in April 2023.
Spotrac projects Jackson’s next deal as a 4-year, $251.1 million contract extension, which would be the biggest contract in NFL history and pay Jackson approximately $62.8 million in average annual salary.
“Jackson’s salary cap number skyrockets from $43.5 million in 2025 to $74.5 million next year, which makes reducing this hit the priority for Baltimore,” Hensley wrote on December 15. “The Ravens acknowledged last offseason that they had internal discussions about a new deal for Jackson, who represents himself. What will it take to get a new contract?”
Ravens Get Bad News on QB Lamar Jackson After SNF Injury