Defenses haven’t been able to contain Lamar Jackson so far in 2024, but his own body might be the one factor that can stop him. The Baltimore Ravens quarterback was not at practice to begin the week ahead of the team’s Week 9 matchup vs. the Denver Broncos.
Below are the latest updates on Jackson’s injuries and game status.
What Is Lamar Jackson’s Injury?
Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh suggested that Wednesday was a rest day for Jackson, who was marked with a DNP (did not participate) status with back and knee injuries to begin Week 9.
No Lamar Jackson at practice today. John Harbaugh said it's, "A rest day." pic.twitter.com/WTOBY5rJFT
— Morgan Adsit (@MorganAdsit) October 30, 2024
However, Jackson was again a non-participant on Thursday with the same injuries. The MVP favorite would probably be able to play against the Broncos on Sunday without practicing at all this week, but a third straight DNP would raise significant alarms about his ability to suit up.
Is Jackson Playing in Week 9?
Updated at 11:30 AM ET on November 3
Jackson is active for today’s game.
As of now, there’s no reason to believe that Jackson will definitely miss Sunday’s game. Harbaugh did not speak on Thursday (he’ll speak again on Friday), and offensive coordinator Todd Monken did not offer much about Jackson’s availability.
Ravens OC Todd Monken on not having Lamar Jackson for the first two practices of the week: “It is what it is. Josh (Johnson) could use the work.” pic.twitter.com/q8gwjeALEO
— Jamison Hensley (@jamisonhensley) October 31, 2024
Even a limited session on Friday should indicate that Jackson is on track to start versus the Broncos.
How Might Jackson’s Absence Impact the Ravens if Ruled Out?
This is sort of like asking how life on Earth would be impacted if the Sun was removed. Jackson is everything to the Ravens, and Baltimore is a totally different team without him.
Including playoffs, the Ravens are 4-10 without Jackson since he became a full-time starter in 2019. Starting quarterbacks over that stretch include Tyler Huntley, Robert Griffin III, Anthony Brown, and current backup Josh Johnson.
Things would probably be even bleaker in 2024 given the dilapidated state of Baltimore’s defense. The Ravens are very far from last year’s unit that led the league in scoring defense, ranking 26th in EPA per play and 23rd in success rate.
PFN’s Defense+ metric, which accounts for various factors such as situational EPA and success rate, ranks Baltimore 24th. That’s not due to a single poor performance either as they’ve ranked inside the top 16 in just one week all season.
From a fantasy football perspective, Derrick Henry would likely receive plenty of touches against heavily loaded boxes. That wouldn’t zap his fantasy value — per NFL Pro, Henry is averaging an absurd 7.1 yards per carry against stacked boxes this season and has 377 rush yards in those situations (next most is Jordan Mason with 183).
SEE MORE: NFL Injury Report
Still, it’s obvious that having Jackson adds a different dimension to the run game, and it’s improbable that Henry would see no drop-off in efficiency or production.
The Ravens’ passing game options would not be reliable. If you have options to play beyond Zay Flowers and Mark Andrews (to say nothing of Rashod Bateman or Isaiah Likely), it would be wise to plug in those alternatives if Jackson is out on Sunday.