The Baltimore Ravens are in the playoffs and have a tough first-round matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals on the road.
What will make it even more difficult is that quarterback Lamar Jackson likely won’t be ready to go for the game.
Jackson has been out for quite some time since sustaining a PCL injury, and that is bad news for the Ravens offense.
Jackson was only supposed to miss a few weeks, but now he is up to six weeks.
Sunday will mark six weeks (42 days) since Lamar Jackson suffered his knee injury. The original timeline for his return was a maximum of three weeks, and now it looks like Lamar could end up missing double that timeline.
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) January 11, 2023
Questions have been swirling about Jackson’s absences, and some think it is due to his lingering contract status.
After the Ravens signed linebacker Roquan Smith to a five-year, $100 million deal, Jackson must be wondering when his big payday will come.
Jordan Schultz reported that Jackson’s absence has nothing to do with his contract, but David J. Chao did point out that a six-week timeline for a PCL is unusual.
Extreme swelling approaching 6 weeks post PCL is unusual. Would mean grade 3 PCL or possible associated cartilage injury which would put potential surgery on the table. Contract related or not, this is bad news on #LamarJackson. https://t.co/QEITwvZEZk
— David J. Chao – ProFootballDoc (@ProFootballDoc) January 12, 2023
If Jackson can’t go — which figures to be the most likely scenario — it will be Tyler Huntley starting the playoff game on the road for Baltimore.
Yet he is dealing with an injury himself, and has not been throwing in practice this week.
Nonetheless, if Jackson does miss the game, that is a cause for concern for Baltimore, and there is a very likely chance that he has played his final game as a member of the Baltimore Ravens.
This is setting up to be another long offseason full of drama and rumors for the Ravens.
NEXT: Roquan Smith Is Having The Best Week Ever