There’s a real possibility that Baltimore Ravens star quarterback Lamar Jackson will play through his lingering left knee injury come playoff time.
According to ESPN NFL Insider, Adam Schefter, a league source has given Jackson a “strong chance” to play during Wild Card Weekend. Jackson was injured back in December after Denver Broncos’ linebacker Jonathon Cooper tackled him and all of his weight landed on Jackson’s knee. Since the injury, Jackson has yet to even practice.
Despite being ruled out for Sunday’s regular-season finale, not having practiced once in over a month, and still having swelling in his knee, Ravens’ quarterback Lamar Jackson has “a strong chance” of playing Baltimore’s wild-card game next weekend, per a league source.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 7, 2023
Ravens’ head coach John Harbaugh announced during a press conference Friday that Jackson would be inactive for Baltimore’s regular season finale against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday, marking the fifth consecutive game he’s missed due to his injured knee.
I don’t think the Ravens stand any chance at all in the postseason without Jackson on the field. Baltimore’s offense is centered around Jackson’s skill set and their offense can’t reach their highest potential without him under center. Since 2019, Jackson has led the Ravens in passing AND rushing yards, according to ESPN player stats. He is a player that Baltimore must have if they want to make a run at the Super Bowl. (RELATED: REPORT: Former NFL Star Peyton Hillis In ICU After Saving His Kids From Drowning)
No disrespect to Ravens’ backup quarterback, Tyler Huntley, but he is not as great as Jackson is. Jackson possesses the talent to give Baltimore a shot at taking down any team in the AFC playoff picture.
Jackson reportedly eyeing a postseason return says a lot about how tough he is. He’s throwing caution to the wind for the sake of trying to win a championship and I respect the hell out of him for it.