OWINGS MILLS, Md. — Add Lamar Jackson’s ankle to the list of injuries the two-time MVP has dealt with this season.
Jackson missed practice for a second consecutive Wednesday, and while it’s possible that was largely precautionary, the fact that the team listed a new ailment for its star quarterback is notable. Jackson has already missed three games with a hamstring injury. Last week it was a knee that kept him out of one practice, but he was able to play in Sunday’s 23-16 win over Cleveland.
Now the ankle is an issue.
“I really don’t have any information on that, as far as any more information — public information — that I want to share on any of those guys,” coach John Harbaugh said, alluding to the eight players on the roster who didn’t practice. “It’s the physical nature of the sport. Some guys don’t practice on Wednesday. We’ll try to get everybody available for Sunday that we can, and we’ll see as the week goes on, who becomes available.”
Baltimore hosts the New York Jets this weekend.
The Ravens (5-5) have won four straight to reach .500 again, but that doesn’t mean they don’t have concerns. Receiver Rashod Bateman (ankle), safety Kyle Hamilton (shoulder/groin), tight end Isaiah Likely (calf), cornerback Keyon Martin (rib), linebacker Roquan Smith (hamstring), tackle Ronnie Stanley (illness) and guard Andrew Vorhees (foot) also missed practice Wednesday.
Jackson, of course, was the biggest name on the injury report. He threw for 193 yards last weekend and was sacked five times while also having two deflected passes intercepted. He ran for only 10 yards on four attempts in that game.
Jackson has a 115.5 passer rating this season, but he has run for only 226 yards on 39 carries, and he hasn’t rushed for more than 50 yards since reaching 70 in the season opener at Buffalo. He has been sacked 23 times, his same total from 17 games last season.
Baltimore’s offensive line hasn’t looked as sturdy as it did in 2023 and 2024, but Jackson hasn’t shown off his usual explosiveness when scrambling and running, and it’s fair to wonder if these injuries — even if minor — are impacting him.
“We had some quarterback runs called, (but the Browns defense) took away the quarterback a number of times,” Harbaugh said. “They’re not always going to let him run either, so it’s week to week.”
The Ravens are winning of late, no matter how mobile Jackson is at the moment.
“It’s not required,” Harbaugh said. “Next thing you know, Lamar (Jackson) will break out and run for 100 yards. So, that’s always — I’m sure defenses have to consider that as a possibility, and that’s a good thing for us.”
