After refusing to address anything regarding two-time MVP quarterback Lamar Jackson’s latest significant injury this week, the Baltimore Ravens finally provided an update Friday morning.

Rookie head coach Jesse Minter, who was criticized for calling Jackson’s high-ankle sprain a “day-to-day” situation for nearly three weeks, would not answer questions this week about Jackson’s thumb injury suffered in Week 8. Minter would not comment on the specifics of the injury or whether any procedure had taken place. On Friday, with the Ravens having an unusual media schedule than normal this week with a Monday night game following a Thursday game, the team finally added context to the situation.

The Ravens released a statement from Minter (still nothing from the team president or general manager) saying the following:

“Lamar is doing well as he recovers from the broken and dislocated thumb injury he suffered in Week 8.

“Recovery timelines are challenging to predict, but injuries like this that require surgery typically take about 6-10 weeks to heal. He is doing everything he can to get back, and we will let his progress guide the timing of his return.

“We are committed to playing our best football over the second half of the season.”

What Does It Mean?

Jackson was injured on his first dropback after coming back from the ankle injury, one of three Ravens quarterbacks injured in rapid succession in that game, in the pocket, behind an offensive line in constant decline that is begging real questions about the acumen of this front office. The Ravens generally do not make players available to the media while on Injured Reserve – where Jackson was placed last week.

Jackson’s injuries are always the subject of rampant media speculation, which almost always projects ridiculously ambitious timetables. And so it was again, starting days after this latest injury, and for the team not to address this in some manner would have been ridiculous with the player himself not in position to meet the media. It remains highly unlikely that Jackson plays another game this season, for myriad reasons.

Baltimore’s playoff hopes are slim; the team has lost four straight games while outscored 117-43, it has just two AFC wins thus far (with among the worst strength of victory tiebreakers in the conference) and is 7-15 starting games without Jackson since he became their starter in 2018. The Ravens will not be favored in many games down the stretch and are hoping Jacoby Brissett, just demoted to third string with rebuilding Arizona, can stabilize a failing run game and passing attack (it should help some pass catchers, but not enough).

Jackson coming back in December, having last played a full football game Week 3 – in Brazil – is highly unlikely under normal circumstances. This being the Ravens, the circumstances are anything but normal and the combination of him having no more guarantees in his contract and no future injury protections, with a stable of poison pills in his favor, make this effectively the end of his season.

Jackson has the leverage to decide where he plays next season, and putting him back out there under there circumstances to risk further medical issues would be silly for player and team (this is the worst second-half team in the NFL with a coaching staff that’s yet to remotely show it is ready for all of this). The Ravens best tread lightly with this player, whom some with unique access and insight into his prior negotiations with this franchise already believe is headed elsewhere in 2027.

Having Jackson hurt going into the offseason would only hurt his trade value, and at this point it would be malfeasance – like giving away a starting kicker for no good reason – for the Ravens not to be considering such variables.