You don’t have to be an NFL insider to tell Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson isn’t the player he’s been in the past.
Jackson’s battle against injuries this season has reflected the Ravens’ struggle to stay in the playoff hunt — they started the season 1-5 and are now 6-7 after 2 consecutive losses to AFC North rivals with the Cincinnati Bengals and Pittsburgh Steelers.
The story of Jackson’s season isn’t just about injuries, though. It’s more than that. There’s now questions about how well he communicates with his team and with his coaches about how hurt he is, exactly, and if he’s even invested in what head coach John Harbaugh is trying to accomplish after entering the season as Super Bowl contenders.
Fugazi Injury Report Cost Ravens $100K
Earlier this season, the Ravens went into a Friday practice listed as a full participant — indicating he would play in Week 8 against the Chicago Bears — but instead was limited in Saturday’s practice and didn’t play in a win over the Bears.
That cost the Ravens a $100,000 fine from the NFL for violating the league’s injury report policy. It also led to a lot of question about how much Jackson was communicating with his coaches.
Since his return from a hamstring injury that cost him 3 games, Jackson has seemed like a different player. One who doesn’t seem totally invested in what his team is trying to accomplish.
“Do (Ravens head coach) John Harbaugh and Lamar Jackson even talk to each other?” Fox Sports host Nick Wright asked during an appearance on “The Bill Simmons Podcast” on Thursday, December 11. ” … Harbaugh was like ‘We’re going to have our quarterback (against the Bears).’ Then he doesn’t come back. And when he does come back he has all these little random injuries that cause him to sit out practices and he’s not the same player he was … I think Lamar is over all of it and he’s checked out and he’s ready for a new regime.”
Ravens Getting ‘Worst Version’ of Jackson in 2025
Prime Jackson is a 2-time NFL MVP who is virtually unstoppable with the ball in his hands. He’s the only quarterback in NFL history to rush for over 1,000 yards in a single season, which Jackson has done twice.
Jackson, who is playing on a 5-year, $260 million contract extension he signed before the 2023 season, is headed for career lows almost across the board after becoming the full time starter for the Ravens in 2019, his first MVP season.
The Athletic’s Jeff Howe called Jackson the “worst version” of himself earlier this month.
“Usually, it’s a few things going wrong at once, among which could be Jackson playing through a more serious injury than anyone realizes,” Howe wrote on Tuesday, December 9. “The 28-year-old missed three games this season with a hamstring injury, but he has also missed recent practices due to ankle and toe ailments … from a preseason Super Bowl favorite to a team that’s currently outside the playoff picture, the Ravens have been one of the NFL’s most disappointing teams in 2025. But just like the case with Jackson, injuries can only excuse so much.”
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