Baltimore Ravens QB Lamar Jackson is returning this Thursday. He’s missed the last three games with a hamstring injury. Jackson hurt the Achilles during a game vs. Kansas City Chiefs on September 28. He decided to leave the field after the third quarter of a 37-20 loss.
Prior to his injury, Jackson was putting on an MVP performance, leading the entirety of the NFL with a jaw-dropping 130.5 passer rating. He threw for 10 touchdowns and only one interception, cementing his legacy as a two-time MVP. At only 28 years old, Jackson is the centerpiece of the Ravens’ sustained success since he’s taken over as starting quarterback in 2018. In five years he’s produced an impressive 74-32 win-loss record, good for a .698 winning percentage.
After sitting out of practice all of last week, Jackson was back on the field as a limited participant. He was ultimately upgraded to a full participant on Friday. His status was subsequently changed to limited, which led to some confusion regarding when he would be able to take the field. Even Ravens coach John Harbaugh owned up to the oversight, referring to it as an “honest mistake.” He hasn’t spoken with NFL officials as of yet on the issue.
“When it became apparent that I knew he wasn’t going to play for sure, we just declared him out,” – John Harbaugh
During practice this week, Jackson mostly ran with the scout team, a sign of a cautious return. Historically, Jackson comes back in 2019 form after an injury. In fact, he has a pristine 2-0 record in his first games back during his eight-year career.
The Ravens have been awful without Jackson on the field. As a result, their record is a woeful 5-12, accounting for a paltry .294 win rate in his absence. As anticipation builds for Jackson’s return against Miami, fans and teammates alike remain optimistic about his impact on the field.
“We were hopeful. I probably would say it was an outside chance. I still had my fingers crossed.” – John Harbaugh
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