The Cincinnati Bengals might avoid Baltimore Ravens star quarterback Lamar Jackson in the first round of the playoffs on Sunday night.
According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo, Jackson still hasn’t felt right to this point, and it “doesn’t look good” as to his chances of playing this week. Jackson suffered a knee injury in Week 13.
It’s an “uphill battle” for Jackson to play this weekend as teams enter Wednesday’s first practice.
For the Bengals, that could mean seeing Anthony Brown again. Last week Brown went 19-of-44 with 286 yards and two interceptions. Tyler Huntley, who is second on the depth chart but has been banged up, could also get the start. On 112 attempts this season, Huntley has thrown for 658 yards (5.9 YPC) with two touchdowns and three interceptions.
Things could always change on this front. But if Jackson doesn’t practice Wednesday, it’s one more day without reps since early December.
The Bengals will surely prepare for all three passers, but avoiding a former league MVP in a playoff game would swing things even more in their favor.
Lamar Jackson has tried to do some work on his injured knee but hasn’t felt right to this point. He’s yet to practice at all since getting hurt, as the #Ravens begin their practice week for the #Bengals today. https://t.co/0UDzgCz7Dc
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) January 11, 2023