Lamar Jackson will not return from his knee injury on Sunday and will miss his team’s wild-card matchup against the Bengals, the Ravens announced Friday.
Baltimore, who has been without Jackson since Week 13, will be without its star quarterback for the sixth game in a row. The game is not only important for the Ravens’ postseason run but also for Jackson’s future with the franchise.
Jackson had implied earlier in the week that he would miss the game against the Bengals when he revealed in a tweet that he still had inflammation around his knee and that his knee remained unstable. Ravens coach John Harbaugh did not comment on the quarterback’s tweet or availability when speaking to reporters earlier Friday.
“I’m still in good spirits, as I continue with treatments on the road to recovery,” Jackson wrote on Twitter after missing practice Thursday. “I wish I could be out there with my guys more than anything but I can’t give a 100% of myself to my guys and fans I’m still hopeful we still have a chance.”
Jackson’s injury was originally reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter as a sprained posterior cruciate ligament suffered against the Broncos on Dec. 4. In his stead, quarterback Tyler Huntley led them to a 3–2 record before Anthony Brown took the reins in Week 18’s loss against the Bengals. The Bengals (12–4) won the NFC North as a result and will host the Ravens (10–7) in the first round of the playoffs.
Jackson becomes a free agent in 2023 after he and the Ravens could not decide on a contract extension before the start of the ’22 season. Whether he’s able to return in the playoffs or not, the 26-year-old quarterback will return to the negotiating table this offseason.
Kickoff for the crucial matchup is slated for Sunday at 8:15 p.m. ET on NBC.
