Lamar Jackson: My knee remains inflamed and unstable

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Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson’s absence from the field continued at Thursday’s practice and he offered an update on where things stand a little later in the day.

Jackson has missed the last five games and head coach John Harbaugh offered no updates on his status Wednesday. He did say that he was OK with a player playing at less than 100 percent “if he’s healthy and safe and it’s not gonna do any damage to an injury.”

In a tweet on Thursday, Jackson said he’s not in that category as the team prepares to face the Bengals in the Wild Card round.

“Thank you everyone for your support and concerns regarding my injuries,” Jackson wrote. “I want to give you all an update as I am in the recovery process. I’ve suffered a PCL grade 2 sprain on the borderline of a strain 3. There is still inflammation surrounding my knee and my knee 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.”

Jackson’s absence has played out against the backdrop of the impending expiration of his contract and there’s been thought that the two situations are intertwined. Jackson’s tweet may not change anyone’s opinion of that, but it does make it hard to see him playing anytime soon.

111 responses to “Lamar Jackson: My knee remains inflamed and unstable

  1. I think he is too scared to go out and choke again in the playoffs ruining his negotiations.

  2. Smart. His agent knows the Ravens are going to lose this weekend so why put himself in a bargaining situation where he gets hammered in his last game of the season. His agent is worth every penny.

  3. I betcha the team feels otherwise, but let’s give him the benefit of the doubt, and we’ll all just assume he’s not faking his “unstable” explanation in an attempt to force the team to give him what he wants. He’s getting the franchise tag, and then he’ll be available to anyone who wants to deal with a guy who thinks he’s one of the top 3 quarterbacks in the NFL

  4. I like Lamar and I feel bad for him.

    Now down to business:

    Convince me he can finish a season and deserves 250 guaranteed.

  5. i.e., He’s a free agent in a month. His glass body can’t get any more damaged. Good luck Ravens.

  6. Well, that’s the end of his time in Baltimore. He’s choosing not to play. In the Playoffs. It’s a middle finger to Baltimore and it’s totally unacceptable. Ship him to Jersey–he’s made out of balsa wood at this point in his career, and he’s been supplanted by Justin Fields on the national stage. Watch–Lamar is starting the descent over the hill…

  7. Ironic. He very well could be playing the “pay me” card. But all it’s telling the Ravens and other teams is they were right to not overpay a running qb. He’s missing all this time in his prime for a relatively minor knee injury. Injuries will only mount and get worse with age, Lamar.

  8. Says the running quarterback who wants 5 years 250 mil guaranteed. If that knee’s really that bad then he could well be the new RG III.

  9. Lamar played in a meaningless bowl game his last year at Louisville. He would be out there this weekend if he possibly could.

  10. Rivers once played a playoff game with a torn ACL and Ronnie Lott had them cut his pinky off so he could get back in a game but Jackson has a little swelling and playing is out of the question.I guess todays players are less concerned about winning.

  11. Um, almost 6 weeks off for a little knee thing and missing the playoffs. Say goodbye to him Hes offically done ini Baltimore

  12. I wonder if Lamar is healthy, but using this to show the Ravens how bad the team is without him. If he plays and the Ravens lose, it will make getting a contract more difficult.

  13. The Ravens are one of the smartest and best run organizations in the NFL. They know it is foolish to sign a QB like Jackson to a long term high dollar contract. One hit on the knee and his career is done. Guys like Lamar and Kyler Murray ae not good bets for long term careers,

  14. Franchise tag is 45M next year. Best believe the Ravens are absolutely not letting hit hit free agency. There are still a few chapters left in this story. One one hand you can see hoe bad they are without him. On the other of course injury factors into a team’s contract offers. I still do not know who has the upper hand in this showdown and neither do you…

  15. Somehow I get the feeling that next season, he’ll be in Miami and the Ravens will have a lot of extra draft picks.

  16. I applaud him for banking on himself, but he probably cost himself 10m per year if not more.

  17. If it turns out he’s kinda hurt and making a point, his career is over. No matter the situation, it’s messy in every single way.

  18. If he is tagged and traded, Miami can’t be an option without a #1 pick. They used it to get Chubb.
    Houston or Indy are the only teams that make sense. That way Baltimore is drafting in the top 4, with Chicago and AZ selecting non QB’s, allowing Baltimore a shot at the top 2 in the draft.

  19. fanfrommontreal says:
    January 12, 2023 at 6:06 pm
    And you can kiss that garanteed contract goodbye.
    ————————————————-
    Ever think that this is payback to the Ravens for not paying him? Why go any further and risk exacerbating an injury when he’s going to be a free agent. It’s like an in season holdout. You don’t have to like him, but imagine Kyler Murray is making more.

  20. elcampion2, Indy with unqualified Jeff would be risk, Texans a bad franchise. Lamar wants to win as well and he is incredible talent.

    As Stephen A said, with Lamar this season, Jets would have made AFC championship, that’s how good defence is..

    Jets, Saints would be great in getting to SB..

  21. 305dolphin says:
    January 12, 2023 at 7:15 pm
    The Ravens are one of the smartest and best run organizations in the NFL. They know it is foolish to sign a QB like Jackson to a long term high dollar contract. One hit on the knee and his career is done. Guys like Lamar and Kyler Murray ae not good bets for long term careers
    ==================
    ==================
    The Ravens used to be one of the smartest organizations in football. That retired with Newsome. They haven’t drafted a pro bowl offensive or defensive player in the 4 years since Ozzie retired after drafting 8 in the previous four drafts. The bet wrong on Matt Judon and orlando brown, they did nothing (unlike an actual smart franchise like the eagles) to build an elite Qb on a rookie deal. Drafted a 3rd safety instead helping on an already bad receiver group and traded their best receiver away. A smart franchise would never end up with their top 3 receivers being guys previously out of football. Jackson is the only thing preventing them from being a 5 win team.

  22. The Ravens are going to have a very tough situation in the offseason if Lamar sticks to his demand for a fully guaranteed contract. I doubt they’re going to give it to him after this, but will another team want to? If they franchise him, will he hold out? I can’t see another team giving them a boatload of picks and then giving him the guaranteed contract on top of that. Then what happens?

  23. domefieldadvantage says:
    January 12, 2023 at 6:17 pm

    His career is toast. So much for being your own agent
    __________________

    Toast? Lamar will soon get the biggest contract in NFL history. Don’t let the hate blind you.

  24. The Ravens had the last 3 years to sign this man. They squarely put themselves in this situation. Bisciotti lucked into a Super Bowl win in 2012 then went out and over paid Flacco and never got a return on that money. So now they’ve become afraid to pull the trigger again. Don’t blame LJ for not wanting to risk his financial future with no long term contract. The Ravens made their bed.

  25. Running QBs do not have longevity. Name one that has played at a high-level for more that 5-6 years.
    He should have taken the Ravens best offer but he pulled a LeVeon and we see how that worked out. He could have been guaranteed set for life but risked it all.
    I don’t think this is a ploy to get more money, unless he is bat-pooh crazy but it’s a definite major miscalculation of risk.

  26. Definitely had his agent write that note.

    If all players who wrote about a strain or some inflamtion got this sort of attention, this site was be unreadable.

    He’s looking for a team to over pay (Jets or Raiders) in the offseason.

  27. If Lamar is smart which is debateable it’s possible he has injury insurance. Maybe this is his way of getting paid at least half of what he was shooting for and not having any more wear and tear. Of course if he takes the payout he will never be able to play pro football again.

  28. Nobody is giving a number 1 pick for Jackson. NOBODY! The dumbest team in the league signed Watson already.

  29. They might tag him for one year… but pull this s*** again and no one will sign him. He should fire his agent 😜

  30. College players sit out bowl games. Lamar is getting ready for free agency so he’s skipping a playoff game.

  31. That medical\legal tweet was definitely written by his agent. He’s making business decisions now, which is good for his interests.

    If you’re wondering head over to his Twitter For a small sample;
    and it’s obvious that’s not Lamar speaking directly.

  32. and that’s why no one will give you 5 years, $250 million fully guaranteed. You’re always hurt my guy. It will just get worse as you get older.

  33. January 12, 2023 at 6:19 pm
    Feeling like his time in Baltimore is done. Franchise tag and trade?

    I agree with you but what would any team give for trade right now? Tagging is the only real option.

  34. sfniners42 says:
    January 12, 2023 at 6:52 pm
    Business. Decision.

    Correction: Poor. Business. Decision.

  35. Why would any team trade for Lamar now? He seems to be injury prone at this point, it’s not looking good for his future. I feel sorry for him, he should have taken the contract from the Ravens when it was offered. At least he’s made enough to last his lifetime if he doesn’t go spend crazy.

  36. All you arm chair GMs it only takes one team to pay him. I’m betting Lamar gets a hefty guaranteed contract. We will wait and see. I also don’t see how the Ravens trade him. He will hold off on signing franchise deal. Ravens screwed him by trading Hollywood Brown. They deserve this.

  37. 305dolphin says:
    January 12, 2023 at 7:15 pm

    The Ravens are one of the smartest and best run organizations in the NFL. They know it is foolish to sign a QB like Jackson to a long term high dollar contract. One hit on the knee and his career is done. Guys like Lamar and Kyler Murray ae not good bets for long term careers,
    _________________________________________________

    Where do you guys get this stuff from? Smart? Well, if you feared having a running QB, why would you move up to draft him in the first place and build running plays around him, then be afraid of him running? That makes absolutely no sense. All QBs get hurt and the data still shows non-runners get hurt more. Google it sometime instead of spouting nonsense. Also, both of Lamar’s injuries were in the pocket. If you actually watch a Ravens game, Lamar gets hit less than any running QB ever. Many of his runs end up with him safely going out of bounds. If I were the Ravens, I would worry more about his passing skills than him being a runner. Long term? That’s why there are 4 and 5 years deals. If you don’t like what you have after 4 years, say goodbye. It’s not that complicated. You don’t sign QBs to 20-year deals.

  38. The main problem is the Ravens designed their whole offense around him. What other team is going to want to do that? He may be good, but he gets injured, and then you are left without a good replacement. He needs the Ravens more than they need him. I like him a lot, but 250MM guaranteed would be bad business. I love the Ravens, but I hope they trade him and can get back to a more conventional offense. Easier to draft and develop. Easier to have someone step in if the starter gets hurt. Either trade him or he takes a reasonable offer. 100MM sets you up for life anyways Lamar!

  39. No way he came up with that explanation on his own. Someone prepared that statement for him. That’s not how he talks. Nice try, not buying it.

  40. His feelings and wallet remains unstable and inflamed. They better tag and trade his behind. Not worth what he wants even without being injured the last two years. Now purposefully hurting the team for his own gain. Get out while you can Baltimore.

  41. Scottie Pimpin says:
    January 12, 2023 at 7:30 pm
    Franchise tag is 45M next year. Best believe the Ravens are absolutely not letting hit hit free agency. There are still a few chapters left in this story. One one hand you can see hoe bad they are without him. On the other of course injury factors into a team’s contract offers. I still do not know who has the upper hand in this showdown and neither do you…
    ________________________________________________________________________

    They can put the non excusive tag on him and the tag is about 10 million less and they have the right to match any offer he gets. If not then they get two number one picks. I would let his behind walk any day of the week for two number one picks. If he stays he will get the tag money or whatever contract someone offered which won’t be much.

  42. bigfoothearse says:
    January 12, 2023 at 6:49 pm
    Cue the “this is what happens when you have a RB playing QB” comments

    ===============

    Cam Newton was done as a starter at 29 (last winning yr age 28) and out of the league 3 years later after coaches stopped trying to bring back age 26 Cam newton.

    Convince me he isn’t on the same career path. Cam actually averaged over 3,300yds passing/yr which is more than Lamar has ever thrown for in his life.

  43. As a Patriots fan….. I wish Lamar a quick and speedy recovery AND I hope the Ravens sign him to a LONG term deal and he gets every penny he is asking for!!!

  44. Knee injuries are the worst!!! My son, vying for D-1 scholarship tore his meniscus. Bye Bye…. Came back tore his other….. I remember the recovery process. Long arduous and painful. I look at this a bit differently. I will keep an open mind until the healing process is over than take a wait and see on what happens. I wish the young man well and prayers for continued healing.

  45. I think Florio said something the other day about the possibility of using the non-exclusive franchise tag on him so that Lamar can go out and get offers, but the Ravens have the opportunity to match any offers get gets. That makes a lot of sense to me.

  46. I read that the Ravens had offered him a 5-year 250 million are contract with something like 133 million guaranteed.

    But that wasn’t enough for him so he bet on himself.

    At this point I think it’s just ego.
    He doesn’t have any interest in winning.

  47. Good for him. I wouldn’t risk being more injured, especially both sides haven’t had any agreement on a new contract.

  48. “Smart. His agent knows the Ravens are going to lose this weekend so why put himself in a bargaining situation where he gets hammered in his last game of the season. His agent is worth every penny.”

    Yes. Genius. Tell the league that your knee is completely screwed right before you become a free agent. He must have read The Art of the Deal.

  49. Question, If Lamar has chosen to be his own agent, has he aslo chosen to be his own doctor? Does he surgery himself too? Why doesn’t he talk to the team? This sounds just like Daunte Culpepper and he never recovered from his knee injury as he chose to rehab by himslef on his own in a stripmall gym.

  50. That sucks. Hopefully he recovers soon. Sounds like a tear.
    However, long term guaranteed contract? no way. He’s brittle, his best games are in the first half of the year, year in and year out.
    No doubt a Dynamic Elite Talent, but to guarantee money to a guy that’s not guaranteed to complete a season, no thanks.

  51. Said it a year ago. Give us (2) 1st rounders and anyone can have him.
    Good guy, phenomenal player, but lacks maturity and chokes in the playoffs. Adios.

  52. People telling him he should have hired an agent or that he’s not going to get paid are really funny. Apparently you haven’t paid attention to the NFL the last 25 years. He’s a young former MVP with a great W-L record. Someone is going to pay him big money, regardless of how good or bad you think he is.

  53. Lamar obviously is hurt..I don’t get why people think he’s holding out due to the contract issue. Even if he got the money he wouldn’t play. PCL injuries suck man, I’ve been there.
    Take the man at his word and leave him and his mom alone. They like to do business differently. So what! Its America. We take risks and most of the time it works out sometimes not.

    Bengals fan

  54. I don’t understand it. Lamar is a generational talent, more like Elway than Vick. I would pay whatever he demanded and send him to the best orthopedic specialists in the world. And surround him with players. Like Elway, he needs some talent around him but they neglected that as did Reeves in Denver. Football not a sport one man can put a team on his back.

  55. I don’t have a team says:
    January 12, 2023 at 11:27 pm
    Nobody is giving a number 1 pick for Jackson. NOBODY! The dumbest team in the league signed Watson already.

    —————————————————————————————–

    There’s got to be the second dumbest team. And if I’m EDC, I’m on the phone.

  56. Fans want the best for a particular player and wish him well in his recovery…until it’s time for the playoffs and they want that injured guy out on the field no matter the long-term repercussions…

  57. ravenhawks says:
    January 13, 2023 at 3:08 am
    The main problem is the Ravens designed their whole offense around him. What other team is going to want to do that? He may be good, but he gets injured, and then you are left without a good replacement. He needs the Ravens more than they need him. I like him a lot, but 250MM guaranteed would be bad business. I love the Ravens, but I hope they trade him and can get back to a more conventional offense. Easier to draft and develop. Easier to have someone step in if the starter gets hurt. Either trade him or he takes a reasonable offer. 100MM sets you up for life anyways Lamar!

    ————-

    Bingo. You can’t complain that the offense sucks without Lamar when that offense is uniquely constructed for Jackson. Anyone who would trade for him would have to do the same thing. All the money has to go into RBs and offensive line and pray he never gets injured, again.

    A PCL grade 2 sprain is generally 3-4 weeks on the high end. World class athlete should be on the low end and he is now at 6+ weeks? Either the diagnosis was wrong or there’s more going on here. Considering Lamar needs his legs to be effective this should be a huge red flag going forward.

  58. mandelzev says:
    January 13, 2023 at 10:07 am
    I don’t understand it. Lamar is a generational talent, more like Elway than Vick. I would pay whatever he demanded and send him to the best orthopedic specialists in the world. And surround him with players. Like Elway, he needs some talent around him but they neglected that as did Reeves in Denver. Football not a sport one man can put a team on his back.

    _______________________________________________________________________

    What makes people say stupid things like this? Comparing him to Elway is not only an insult to Elway but a compete joke.

  59. monarch76 says:
    January 13, 2023 at 1:58 am
    All you arm chair GMs it only takes one team to pay him. I’m betting Lamar gets a hefty guaranteed contract. We will wait and see. I also don’t see how the Ravens trade him. He will hold off on signing franchise deal. Ravens screwed him by trading Hollywood Brown. They deserve this.
    ——————————————————————————————–
    How soon we forget. Lamar’s best bro, Hollywood, wanted out of Baltimore. The man didn’t want to play any more with Lamar. He saw Lamar’s game and its limitations and decided the grass was greener elsewhere.

  60. samoanjungle says:
    January 12, 2023 at 10:48 pm
    Running QBs do not have longevity. Name one that has played at a high-level for more that 5-6 years.
    He should have taken the Ravens best offer but he pulled a LeVeon and we see how that worked out. He could have been guaranteed set for life but risked it all.
    I don’t think this is a ploy to get more money, unless he is bat-pooh crazy but it’s a definite major miscalculation of risk.
    =====================
    =====================

    Steve Young, Fran Tarkenton, John Elway, Aaron Rodgers, Russell Wilson, Cam Newton, Steve McNair, Donovan McNabb, Randall Cunningham, etc. Other than RG3 who is probably the main person advising Jackson not to play as his former backup it works out about as often as it does with pocket passers. What’s the difference Between Cam Newtons career and Matt Ryan’s other than Ryan’s crippled the Falcons longer because it was harder to tell when he was washed.

  61. ravenhawks says:
    January 13, 2023 at 3:08 am
    The main problem is the Ravens designed their whole offense around him. What other team is going to want to do that? He may be good, but he gets injured, and then you are left without a good replacement. He needs the Ravens more than they need him. I like him a lot, but 250MM guaranteed would be bad business. I love the Ravens, but I hope they trade him and can get back to a more conventional offense. Easier to draft and develop. Easier to have someone step in if the starter gets hurt. Either trade him or he takes a reasonable offer. 100MM sets you up for life anyways Lamar!

    ======================
    ======================

    He needs the Ravens more than they need him? Have the Ravens without Jackson? They didn’t build an offense around Jackson. They didn’t build an offense at all. They just rely of Jackson to bail them out. The very first you with any young QB is find a number 1 receiver. Every other team that drafted a QB in the last 5 years did attempted with varying results except the Bears so far. The first thing you need is guys to keep the safeties away from the box and beat one on one coverage deep If you are building around someone like Lamar Jackson/Kyler Murray/Jalen Hurts/Josh Allen. 3 or those team acquired have great receivers the other is the Ravens. They also chose to enter the season with all 3 running backs coming off major surgery and predictably their leader in rush attempts was a guy signed off the couch. DeCosta Drafting poorly has nothing to do with Jackson. When you go four years without drafting a non special teams pro bowl player dark days are ahead. No team should be this bad offensively even without their starting QB.

  62. Lamar is the most overrated and overhyped QB of all time. He’s not terrible, but he’s really not very good once you put aside the scrambling and running. In fact, he’s pretty bad by every standard measure of a QB. You’ve told us for years he’s so special he doesn’t need to be a traditional QB and he just wins. Well, I agree he can beat up some bad defenses, but he’s damaged goods now, he’s quit on his team, he can’t win in the playoffs, and he’s gotten worse every year since 2019. All facts.

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