NEW YORK — The biggest storyline of the NFL wild-card weekend was the status of Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson and his left knee.
On Thursday night, Jackson broke his silence as he announced on Twitter that he wouldn’t play in Sunday night’s wild-card game at the Bengals.
“I want to give you all an update as I am in the recovery process,” Jackson tweeted. “I’ve suffered a PCL grade 2 sprain on the borderline of a strain 3. There is still inflammation surrounding my knee and my knee remains unstable.
“I’m still in good spirits as I continue with treatments on the road to recovery. I wish I could be out there with my guys more than anything, but I can’t give 100% of myself to my guys and fans I’m still hopeful we still have a chance.”
Tyler Huntley, who missed last week’s game due to a shoulder injury, is expected to start for Jackson. However, when asked on Friday, Huntley said, “It’s a game-time decision.” If Huntley is also out, rookie Anthony Brown, who finished 19 of 44 for 286 yards and two interceptions in the 27-16 loss to the Bengals last Sunday, would be in line to start for Baltimore.
The Jackson saga over the last month and a half has been fascinating to follow. He has missed 18 consecutive practices after injuring his knee in the Ravens’ 10-9 victory against the Broncos on Dec. 4.
After the game, Ravens coach John Harbaugh told reporters that Jackson’s injury wasn’t season-ending. Later that same week, Harbaugh said Jackson’s prognosis improved as he was considered “week-to-week.”
However, Jackson missed the final five games of the regular season. Meanwhile, Harbaugh, who was once transparent about Jackson’s injury status, has become quieter these days as he told reporters that he had no idea Jackson would tweet about his injury.
“No, I hadn’t known anything about that, haven’t paid that much attention to it,” the head coach said on Friday. “It’s not something we can comment on.
“The nature of the injury is specific and the only person who can comment on it is the person. There’s law along those lines and we are educated by the league in terms of what we are allowed to say and what we are allowed to say. So, that’s nothing I can begin to comment.”
Many have questioned if Jackson’s PCL injury is as severe as he may be letting on. He is in the final year of his rookie contract, paying him $23 million guaranteed.
Baltimore and Jackson attempted to negotiate a new contract before the start of the 2022 season as he set a Week 1 deadline of getting a deal done. Reportedly, Jackson turned down a $250 million contract, which later led him to go back and forth on social media with fans.
According to many reports, Jackson was looking for a four-year contract, while the Ravens wanted him to sign a five-year deal. Then Jackson saw the Browns sign Deshaun Watson to a five-year, $230 million deal fully guaranteed contract, now the new bar for every quarterback deal in the league.
Clearly, the Ravens’ offense misses Jackson as they have struggled without him. Baltimore is 2-3 without their star quarterback, averaging 12.5 points during their last five contests. Only the Jets (11.0 points per game), who went without a touchdown in their final three weeks of the season, have scored fewer points than the Ravens during that span.
“Here’s the thing, you don’t know,” Harbaugh said. “That’s why it’s so challenging to stand here, and you get asked questions about injuries all the time and you understand it ‘cause it’s important, and you don’t always know.
“Sometimes you’re hopeful it’ll be quicker. I know I’m always hopeful that guys get back quicker, that it’s the front end of any kind of a prediction. Sometimes it goes the other way, and it’s longer, and you’re disappointed.”
It’s understandable why Jackson decided not to play when he is less than 100%. He knows his worth to the Ravens organization and if he has a less-than-stellar game against the Bengals on Sunday, the team could ultimately use that against him during negotiations.
But by sitting out, Baltimore possibly could see why they need Jackson moving forward and maybe pay him what he’s worth as he is a two-time Pro Bowler, a former first-team All-Pro and a former MVP award winner.
The Jackson-Ravens situation appears to be headed a few ways. Baltimore could franchise tag Jackson and force him and the team to be in this exact same situation a year from now.
Jackson hasn’t been healthy the last two seasons as an ankle injury in Week 14 of the 2021 season put him out for the remainder of the season while also ending the Ravens’ playoff hopes. Following Jackson’s injury, the Ravens finished 8-9 after losing the remaining four games while he was sidelined.
The other option for Jackson would be to sit out after being franchise tagged and either hope the Ravens eventually come to their senses and pay him or request a trade. While Baltimore may not be willing to pay him, teams like the Raiders, Jets, Panthers, Buccaneers and even the Dolphins could be in the market for Jackson’s services should he become available through free agency (not likely) or a trade.
Something smells fishy in Baltimore and the more and more time goes on, it appears Jackson and the Ravens are headed for a divorce sooner rather than later.
