Lamar Jackson misses third straight game, leaving Ravens to guess

Lamar Jackson has missed three consecutive games for the Baltimore Ravens due to a severe ankle injury, leaving the team without its starting quarterback heading into Sunday’s match against the Buffalo Bills. The absence marks another season where the two-time MVP’s durability has complicated the roster’s plans.

Head coach Jesse Minter acknowledged the uncertainty on Wednesday, telling reporters that optimism grows with every passing day of recovery but the staff will wait to see how Jackson develops over the week. This follows a similar pattern from October 7, when Minter suggested a return was possible, only for Jackson to sit out three more contests. The Ravens have historically been tight-lipped about injury details, a strategy designed to prevent opponents from tailoring their game plans to a weakened offense.

Jackson, who turns 30 in January, has spoken openly about the physical toll. Last week, he informed the media that his ankle injury is severe and uncommon. He noted that he is still trying to move in his natural way and that if he cannot, he cannot help the team. In a recent interview, he admitted he is not at 100% health, calling his previous attempt to play through the pain last season a bit foolish.

The situation echoes previous seasons. In 2022, John Harbaugh declared Jackson’s knee injury would not end his season, yet the quarterback did not return that year. Jackson later revealed on social media that he had a grade 2 posterior cruciate ligament sprain and an unstable knee. More recently, in 2025, a hamstring injury led to a 1-5 record in his absence, and he struggled with mobility in the final weeks of the year despite returning to play.

Contract dynamics add another layer of complexity. According to overthecap.com, Jackson’s salary carries an impact of approximately $84 million against the 2027 salary cap, the final year of his current deal. The team faces pressure to negotiate an extension that spreads that financial weight. Cornerback Marlon Humphrey defended Jackson’s work ethic, stating that if the quarterback is healthy enough to play, he will do so, despite the lack of a clear public update on his status.

Jackson ranks seventh among NFL quarterbacks in games started since his first full season in 2019. While peers like Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes have shown greater durability, elite players like Joe Burrow and Brock Purdy have faced similar injury hurdles. The Ravens have not reached a Super Bowl with Jackson, and the current roster is now preparing for Buffalo without him, hoping the injury does not derail the rest of the 2026 season.