The Jacksonville Jaguars already have good news coming their way as it pertains to their Thursday Night Football game to open Week 9 of the 2026 NFL season on Thursday, Nov. 5.
It’s not just that the Jags picked up a 42-7 win on Sunday over the Indianapolis Colts to move to 5-2 on the season and maintain a stranglehold on the AFC South Division lead.
It’s that the team the Jags play on Thursday, the Baltimore Ravens, is in all kinds of trouble.
Lamar Jackson is hurt. He was injured on the first play Sunday against the Buffalo Bills. And it’s not good.
Lamar Jackson Injury News
The Ravens announced after Sunday’s loss in Buffalo that Jackson is going to have surgery on his right thumb.
He will be placed on injured reserve, meaning he will miss at least four games. That includes Thursday night, of course.
Jackson is a game-changing player, and he was just returning from a hamstring injury on Sunday.
But on the first play in Buffalo, Jackson threw a pass and hit his hand against Buffalo’s Greg Rousseau on the follow through. His right thumb appeared to be bent out of position.
When Jackson returned to the sideline later in the day, he had a hand cast on, including around his thumb.
The quick news of Jackson going on IR after the game makes it clear that this wasn’t a good injury situation for the two-time MVP at all.
Tyler Huntley Injury News
The Ravens also lost backup QB Tyler Huntley to injury.
He came in for Jackson, but it didn’t take long for him to hurt his right foot/toe when it appeared to get stuck in the turf.
He, too, was ruled out.
Joe Fagnano, an undrafted rookie out of UConn, came in at that point, and the Bills ran away with the game.
Huntley’s status going forward is less certain than Jackson’s.
Who Will Jaguars Face at QB?
That’s the question the Jags might have to wonder about all week.
If Huntley is healthy enough, he’ll almost certainly start.
If Huntley can’t go, Fagnano is really the only other QB who knows the Baltimore offense.
They had Vanderbilt legend Diego Pavia on the roster over the summer but cut him. It’s not clear he’d be the best option to bring in.
It would make more sense for the Ravens to bring in a veteran — maybe Cooper Rush, who they had last season with Jackson and Huntley. Rush was recently released by the Falcons.
Whoever it is, it’ll be better for Jacksonville than taking on Jackson.
Lamar Jackson Injury News Changes Jaguars’ Fortunes Before TNF