Lamar Jackson has missed the Baltimore Ravens’ past 4 games due to injury. It has now been 29 days since Lamar Jackson went down with a knee injury and he has yet to take the practice field.
Asked on Monday if Jackson would practice this week, head coach John Harbaugh said. “I don’t know. I don’t know. I don’t have an expectation until I hear more today,” per Jamison Hensley.
Jackson has been on the bench and sidelines during the recent games, but now some are questioning whether is he really injured or holding out for a better contract.
Fox Sports commentator Doug Gottlieb seems to think he is not actually injured.
Gottlieb wondered if Jackson is just “hurt” and not really injured.
“I was watching the Ravens and Steelers game and… I don’t know, it felt kind of weird. I got the sense that Lamar Jackson was ‘hurt’, I didn’t get the sense that Lamar Jackson was ‘injured.’ So what’s the difference? Well, if you’re ‘hurt’ you get out there, if you’re ‘injured’ you go see a doctor — you’re on the IR.
It seems like this a sign without him actually saying ‘hey, I’m not playing until the playoffs because of my contract’. We have enough other data to think this is kind of weird here. It was a ‘mild strain’, we were told it wasn’t that big a deal, it didn’t require any surgery, there was no ‘out 4-6 weeks’… I have no doubt that he hurt his knee, it’s the idea of ‘hurt’ or ‘injured’?
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I’ve heard at least one person on Fox Sports Radio say he’s never going to play for the Ravens again. You’re saying he’s not going to play in the playoffs?? Of course he’s going to play in the playoffs. He’s under contract for likely the next two years, and there is no negotiation with franchise tags. I hear people say ‘THEY DON’T WANT TO PAY HIM’. Yes, they do, theyjust don’t want a five-year full guaranteed Deshaun Watson contract, which right now doesn’t look like it’s the greatest contract in the world.”
Gottlieb would then add that he understands where Jackson is coming from but doesn’t think he may be worth the money he is asking for in the long term.
“Personally, I think Lamar is making a point. This is Lamar without a net, this is Lamar energized by writers and fans. He doesn’t have an agent, he doesn’t have a net, he doesn’t have someone to tell him ‘you’re really going to sit out five regular season games to make a point?’— but it feels that way. It feels like he’s trying to make a point: ‘GO AHEAD, WIN WITHOUT ME.’ It’s a valid point.
He’s a great talent and a really good player, but there is nothing about his play over the last year and a half that would tell you that he’s a GREAT player, or an elite quarterback. He’s better than Tyler Huntley but is he $50 million a year guaranteed over the next five years better than Tyler Huntley? My answer would be ‘NO.’ All these long-term deals, tell me the good one??
I’m not accusing him of ‘faking’ it, I think he legitimately hurt his knee and when you’re a crazy athletic quarterback you want to be right before you go back out there. But I’m also guessing that no competitor – and Lamar Jackson is a competitor – no fierce competitor is going to miss Steeler Week because your knee hurts, unless you’re trying to prove a bigger point. It feels like something is weird going on.”
The Ravens have secured a wild card spot, but they also have a chance at the AFC North title if the Bengals were to lose to the Bills. As we saw, we don’t have a clue if that game will be played after what happened to Damar Hamlin.
Winning the division could give the Ravens a better seeding and a home playoff game.
Since it doesn’t appear Jackson will touch the field in the regular season again, he will end the 2022 season with throwing for 2,242 yards with 17 touchdowns and seven interceptions over 12 games this season. He also leads the team with 764 yards rushing.
The Ravens have gone 3-2 without Jackson in the lineup and Tyler Huntley as the starter.
