For all the great vibes the Baltimore Ravens wanted us to believe were happening within the walls of the team’s facility this offseason with a rejuvenated Lamar Jackson and a new, young head coach in Jesse Minter, the franchise finds itself in the same spot it was in 2025, just 7 games into the 2026 regular season.
The Ravens are struggling. Jackson is hurt. No one knows when he’ll be back. No one even has a clue when he’ll be back, and it’s the same stupid shell game that screwed up last season and threatens to unravel this one.
The problems with Jackson and the “will he/won’t he” injury questions around his high ankle sprain seemed to peak after a Week 7 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, where the Ravens led 13-0 at halftime but still lost 35-13.
Jackson has missed the last 3 1/2 games after injuring his ankle in the first half of a Week 4 win over the Tennessee Titans.
“The feeling in the building was that Lamar was going to play this week … it’s now a mystery as to when he will return,” Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio said on Sunday night. “Nobody in the building can say with any certainty when that might be.”
If this sounds familiar, here’s why. It’s because it’s happened before.
Bizarre Injury Issues With Jackson Led to NFL Fine
At this time last year — heading into Week 8 — the NFL punished the Ravens for another mystery surrounding Jackson’s injury status.
The punishment — a $100,000 fine — came after a weeklong investigation into how the team listed Jackson, a 2-time NFL MVP, on the injury report before a Week 8 game against the Chicago Bears.
“The NFL has fined the Ravens $100,000 for violating the league’s Injury Report Policy by incorrectly listing quarterback Lamar Jackson’s practice participation status on Friday, October 24, the league confirmed today,” NFL Network reporter Ian Rapoport wrote on his official X account on October 31. “The Ravens fully cooperated with the investigation, which the league determined was the result of negligence and not an attempt to gain a competitive advantage. If the investigation had determined the violation was intentional or competitive in nature, the discipline would have been more significant, including the potential loss of draft picks.”
The problem last year, like this year, is that Jackson simply doesn’t communicate his injuries to his team. In most cases, with a high-profile NFL player, a network of handlers works as go-betweens.
With Jackson, that doesn’t exist. He is his own representative, employs no agent or handlers, and has the final word and sole knowledge of his true health issues.
Should Ravens Break Bank for Lamar Jackson?
It’s the second consecutive season Jackson has missed multiple games — he missed 4 games in 2025. The Ravens are now 4-3 and face a grueling schedule after losing to the Bengals — on the road against the Buffalo Bills in Week 8, followed by primetime home games against the Jacksonville Jaguars (TNF) and Los Angeles Chargers (MNF).
Playing out quietly in the background of all this injury drama is Jackson’s contract drama — he’s headed into the final year of his 5-year, $260 million contract extension in 2027, but he likely won’t play next year without a new deal.
Jackson is looking to become the NFL’s highest-paid player with that new deal, which means topping the $64 million per year that Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick. Mahomes is paid.
What the Ravens do about Jackson’s new deal — and remember he has a no-contract clause — will define the franchise’s direction for the next decade.
Ravens QB Lamar Jackson’s Injury ‘Mystery’ Deepens After Another Loss