Quarterback Lamar Jackson of the Baltimore Ravens missed practice on Wednesday and his status for Sunday’s playoff game against the Cincinnati Bengals is now in question.
It has been 38 days since Jackson last suited up for the Ravens since injuring his left knee in week 13 of the regular season, according to ESPN. The former NFL MVP has reportedly missed the last 16 practices.
Senior NFL reporter Adam Schefter wrote in a tweet on Wednesday that Jackson is “on track to miss his sixth straight game.”
Thirty eight days after he sprained his PCL, Ravens’ QB Lamar Jackson missed another practice and he is on track to miss his sixth straight game.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 11, 2023
If Jackson can’t play Sunday, I strongly believe that the Ravens will lose. The Baltimore offense is incapable of reaching their highest potential without Jackson being on the field. Jackson has led the Ravens in both passing and rushing yards since the 2019 season, according to ESPN. Their entire offense is centered around Jackson’s skill set and without him, they’re doomed.
I believe Jackon’s inability to stay healthy this season is exactly why Baltimore’s management refused to make him the NFL’s highest paid quarterback during the offseason. Jackson declined a six-year contract prior to the season getting underway that was worth up to $250 million with a staggering $133 million guaranteed, according to NBC Sports.
The star quarterback reportedly rejected the offer because he wanted every last penny of his contract to be fully guaranteed like Deshaun Watson’s deal with the Cleveland Browns. Watson signed a five-year, $230 million deal over the offseason with the Browns in fully guaranteed money, ESPN reported. (RELATED: Georgia’s Warren Brinson Took Over The CBS Sports Broadcast And Was Absolutely Brilliant As The New Host)
In hindsight, the Ravens made the right decision by holding their ground and not caving to Jackson’s contract demands. Right now, the Ravens need Jackson more than ever and he’s hurt. He’s just like every other dual-threat quarterback that came before him — super talented but can’t stay healthy to save his game due to his grueling style of play.
I believe if Jackson was somehow made available to play in Sunday’s playoff game against Cincinnati, he would still have an opportunity to land a huge, fully-guaranteed deal with the Ravens over the summer. From the looks of it though, Jackson will be sidelined for the team’s biggest game of the year, and it could make his future with the team very uncertain.