A trip to the NFL playoffs will be on the line for the Baltimore Ravens heading into Week 18, as it will be a classic showdown between division rivals on Sunday. John Harbaugh’s squad will go on the road to face Aaron Rodgers and the Pittsburgh Steelers at Acrisure Stadium, with the AFC North division title up for grabs.
The big question entering this game is who will be under center at the quarterback position for the Ravens. It’ll either be another game played for veteran backup Tyler Huntley or the return of superstar Lamar Jackson.
Ravens Get Crucial Update on Lamar Jackson’s Status
Lamar Jackson #8 of the Baltimore Ravens
Jackson hasn’t played since Dec. 21 in the loss to the New England Patriots. He’s been dealing with a back contusion ever since, resulting in Huntley having to shoulder the load under center for the Ravens.
Apparently, Jackson could be trending toward playing in the regular-season finale against the Steelers, with Harbaugh “very optimistic” about the playing status of his superstar quarterback, via Tom Pelissero of NFL Network.
“I can’t speak for Lamar or anybody, but he looked good,” Harbaugh said of Jackson. “I’m optimistic. I’m very optimistic. We’ll see how it plays out the rest of the week.”
Harbaugh also let it be known that Jackson was a full participant in practice, via Mike Garafolo of NFL Network.
“He was full participation,” Harbaugh said. “He looked good.”
All signs seem to be pointing in the right direction for the Ravens in terms of Jackson’s chances of playing in Sunday’s game in Pittsburgh. He obviously gives the team a better chance of coming out on top against Rodgers and company, with the division title on the line, as a win would punch their ticket to the postseason.
Could Lamar Jackson Get Traded in the NFL Offseason?
GettyLamar Jackson #8 of the Baltimore Ravens
There’s a chance that Jackson could be playing his last game for the Ravens on Sunday against the Steelers. Rumors have begun to swirl about Jackson potentially being traded during the NFL offseason, with the Las Vegas Raiders potentially being a landing spot, as pointed out by FOX Sports.
Luckily for Las Vegas, one of the best quarterbacks of the last 10 years could be available in the coming months. Jackson would certainly elevate a Raiders offense that’s looked pedestrian, at best, over the last few seasons, and rank last in yards and scoring entering Week 17.
The Raiders are limping their way to one of their worst seasons in recent memory, despite making drastic changes to right the ship before the start of the 2025 campaign by bringing in Pete Carroll to be the new head coach, trading for veteran quarterback Geno Smith and drafting running back Ashton Jeanty.
A couple of other teams were mentioned in the FOX Sports piece, and both are in the AFC East: the Miami Dolphins, who seem ready to move on from Tua Tagovailoa and the New York Jets, where the Justin Fields experiment didn’t go as planned.
However, Jackson has a no-trade clause in his contract, which means he holds all the cards moving forward, making things that much more interesting heading into the NFL offseason.
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