Lamar Jackson ruled out of Ravens' playoff game vs. Bengals
It's official. Lamar Jackson is out.
The Baltimore Ravens ruled Jackson out of Sunday's playoff game against the Cincinnati Bengals on Friday with his lingering knee injury. The news arrives a day after Jackson alluded to his anticipated absence for the wild card game on Twitter, writing that his knee "remains unstable."
remains unstable. I’m still in good spirits, as I continue with treatments on the road to recovery. 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. 💜💜
— Lamar Jackson (@Lj_era8) January 12, 2023
Backup quarterback Tyler Huntley was upgraded to a full participant in practice on Friday with a shoulder injury. He's officially listed as questionable for Sunday's game. He was previously limited and missed Sunday's season finale against the Bengals.
Jackson hasn't played since injuring his left knee on Dec. 4 against the Denver Broncos. He was initially expected to return prior to the end of the regular season but instead missed Baltimore's last five games and will now sit for Sunday's wild card game. The Ravens went 2-3 down the stretch with Huntley and third-stringer Anthony Brown playing quarterback.
Jackson's extended absence arrives amid a contract impasse with the Ravens. The two sides weren't able to reach a long-term agreement prior to the season, and the former league MVP will enter the offseason without a contract. The Ravens have the option to apply the franchise tag to Jackson to maintain control of his services for next season in the event that they still don't reach an agreement.
