No one is playing better than QB Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens are right now. They have dismantled every team that has crossed their path as of late, and as a result, they find themselves heading into Week 18 in the most comfortable position you can be in.
As the final week of the season creeps closer, the Ravens have already sewn up the AFC’s No. 1 seed in the playoffs and head into a matchup on Saturday night against the Pittsburgh Steelers with absolutely nothing more to gain. With that in mind, the Ravens may choose to make some safe decisions with their star players, including Jackson.
Is Lamar Jackson Playing Today?
Update 01/06/2024: As expected, Lamar Jackson is officially inactive for today’s game against the Steelers.
Reports all week have led to the conclusion that Jackson will not be playing in this Week 18 matchup against the playoff-hungry Steelers.
The Ravens have already secured themselves a first-round bye week and are looking at Week 18 as another chance to add additional rest to those who earned and need it.
While some teams who have earned this bye have previously chosen the best route, like the Ravens, some have seen the value of getting the reps and not getting out of rhythm with too much time off between the final week and their next playoff game.
There may not be a right or wrong way to handle the unique situation, but this is the way the Ravens as an organization have decided to handle their quarterback and other stars, as they focus on getting as healthy as possible ahead of their possible Super Bowl run.
Who Will Play Instead of Jackson?
With Jackson set to miss the season finale, an opportunity for another quarterback on the Ravens roster has presented itself.
That next man up is backup QB Tyler Huntley. It will be Huntley’s first start of the season, but he is fresh off a Pro Bowl year in 2022 and is a more than capable quarterback to lead the Ravens’ offense. And Jackson knows it.
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“I’m cool with it. Me and coach talked about it. I felt like it was (most) suitable to sit me and stuff like that,” Jackson said. “I believe (Huntley) can get the job done, and we have guys who are going to go out there and ball out. I have all the faith in my team.”
With Jackson inactive, the backup quarterback behind Huntley will be recently signed third-string quarterback Malik Cunningham. He was signed off the Patriots’ practice squad just a couple of weeks ago and is now prepared to back up Huntley en route to his first playoff appearance in the NFL.
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