RAVENS QB LAMAR JACKSON KNEE INJURY CONSIDERED “WEEK-TO-WEEK”
The Baltimore Ravens confirmed on Monday that starting quarterback Lamar Jackson is “week-to-week” after he suffered a knee injury in the first half of the team’s 10-9 win over the Denver Broncos at home on Sunday.
Jackson is struggling with a sprain on his left knee with Ravens’ head coach John Harbaugh confirming after the game that “it wasn’t a season-ending injury.” As per ProFootballDoc Dr. David Chao, the injury is more likely to be a Grade 1 left knee posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) injury. Jackson, 25, was hurt during the Ravens’ last play of the first quarter when he was sacked and driven into the turf by Broncos outside linebacker Jonathon Cooper.
Harbaugh said on Monday that Jackson’s availability this week against the divisional rivals Steelers is “less likely” and described his knee-sprain update as “week-to-week.” Jackson underwent an MRI on Monday morning with multiple reports confirming that the Ravens believe Jackson would only miss one game, Sunday’s trip to Pittsburgh to play the Steelers for the first time this year.
“I would say it’s kind of week to week,” Harbaugh said. “It’s going to be a weekly thing. As the week goes on, we’ll see for this week. It’s probably less likely for this week, but it’s not impossible. And then after, that it’ll become more and more likely.”
If it is a PCL injury, the news is positive for the Ravens as those types of injuries do not tend to require surgery. A player out with a posterior cruciate ligament injury could come back, usually in a period of a couple of weeks, with a brace to limit contact on the injury.
Until Jackson is healthy again, backup quarterback Tyler Huntley will hold the reins as the starter and try to save the team. Huntley led the team from 9-3 down late in the fourth quarter to win when he scored a two-yard rushing touchdown with less than 30 seconds remaining in the game, capping an impressive 91-yard drive. Huntley finished the game with 187 yards, completing 27 of 32 passes, and threw one interception while gaining 41 yards on the ground.
Harbaugh spoke on Huntley on Monday, who is playing his third year in the NFL after he went undrafted in 2020 from the University of Utah. “Our players have a lot of confidence in him,” Harbaugh said. “He’s a player that’s got a lot of dynamics to his game. He can throw. He can run. He operates really well. Now he’s experienced obviously. Last year he was out there for five, six games. This year [he’s out there] now. That’s where he goes, that’s where he goes. We’ll be excited to play [against the Steelers] and our guys will be fired up.”
The Ravens also signed Brett Hundley to their practice squad as confirmed by his agent, Priority Sports’ Kenny Zuckerman.
Hundley signed with the Ravens in May before he was released in August when the team cut their roster to 85 players. Head Coach John Harbaugh was asked about the team resigning Brett Hundley, to which he said: “It is good [to bring him back]. He has experience with the offense. Plus we’ve got Anthony Brown. He’s been with us all the time. So, very comfortable with our backup situation in terms of depth behind Lamar [Jackson] and Tyler [Huntley].”
While injuries have been an issue for the Ravens, especially over the last few years, Ravens fans will be optimistic about starting quarterback Lamar Jackson’s return window and the promise shown by his backup Tyler Huntley to be competitive when his name is called. The Ravens have four division games coming up over the next five weeks, including the Steelers twice. The team currently sits atop the AFC North at 8-4 and is only ahead of the 8-4 Cincinnati Bengals due to their division record (2-0 in the division compared to the Bengals 1-3).
-Maher Abucheri
Twitter: @pabloikonyero
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