Baltimore Ravens Quarterback Lamar Jackson Misses a Day Of Practice For the 6th Straight Week
If you are a Baltimore fan, you probably have a recurring nightmare. It likely involves refreshing X on a Wednesday afternoon, holding your breath, and waiting for the practice report. Well, welcome to another week of that specific brand of anxiety.
This has undeniably been the strangest, most disjointed season of Lamar Jackson’s career. It feels like we are stuck in a loop where the superstar quarterback is constantly battling something to stay on the field. Usually, we are holding our collective breath over an ankle, a knee, or a toe. But this week? The universe decided to throw a curveball.
The “Flu Deal” Keeps Jackson At Home
Jackson was nowhere to be found at the Under Armour Performance Center on Wednesday. But before you start spiraling about structural damage to his legs, take a deep breath. It isn’t a lower-body injury this time. According to Head Coach John Harbaugh, Jackson was sent home with what he termed a “flu deal.”
“The doc kept him home today, away from the guys,” Harbaugh said to reporters. Jackson hadn’t yet checked “mid-week illness” off his 2025 absence bingo card, so at least we are covering new ground here. While it is certainly better news than a torn ligament or a sprained joint, it is just another disruption in a season defined by them. The timing, predictably, is terrible.
Playoff Lives On the Line
The Ravens aren’t sitting comfortably in a skybox watching the playoff race unfold; they are down in the mud fighting for their lives. Sitting at 7-7, Baltimore is staring up at the Pittsburgh Steelers in the AFC North standings. The math is getting simpler and scarier by the week: The Ravens likely need to run the table or hope for a Pittsburgh collapse to punch their ticket to the dance.
That journey continues this week on primetime. The Ravens host the 11-3 New England Patriots on “Sunday Night Football.” This isn’t a “get right” game against a tanker; it is a heavyweight bout against a team that knows how to win. The Patriots are dealing with their own injury issues, but as Head Coach Mike Vrabel noted, they are preparing for the “huge challenge” that Jackson presents—assuming he makes it to the field.
Can the Offense Find Any Rhythm?
The biggest issue with Jackson missing practice reps isn’t just about his health; it is about chemistry. The Baltimore offense has looked clunky at times, lacking that electric rhythm we know they are capable of. When your QB1 is missing Wednesdays consistently, whether it’s for rest, rehab, or a “flu deal”, it is hard to build the timing necessary to shred defenses like New England’s.
With Jackson at home nursing soup and electrolytes, the reps fell to Tyler Huntley and Cooper Rush. And with all due respect to those guys, the Ravens aren’t beating an 11-win Patriots team without No. 8 under center playing like an MVP.
There is still plenty of time for Jackson to recover before Sunday night. He has played through worse, and he has played with less preparation. But for a team desperately trying to claw its way back to .500 and beyond, the margin for error is gone. The Ravens need Jackson healthy, they need him practicing, and most importantly, they need him to save their season.
