John Harbaugh’s non-update on Lamar Jackson’s injury is troubling

Ravens head coach John Harbaugh has no idea when Lamar Jackson will return from his injury, giving a frustrating non-update on the star quarterback.

When will Lamar Jackson get back in the lineup for the Ravens? No one knows. Literally.

Head coach John Harbaugh addressed the media on Friday and joked about how sometimes coaches obscure injury information but assured reporters that’s not the case with Jackson’s status.

The team simply doesn’t have an idea on his return.

Lamar Jackson injury update: John Harbaugh doesn’t have timetable

“The truth is we just really don’t know,” Harbaugh said. “I know everybody’s working as hard as they can. Lamar’s working as hard as he can, the trainers are working as hard as they can and [we] can’t wait for him to get back, just like everybody else. So that’s where we’re at with that. He won’t be playing in this game, and we’ll be hopeful for next week.”

At least there’s clarity on Jackson with regard to playing in the regular-season finale against the Bengals on Sunday. It’s a no-go, which means Tyler Huntley is set to start his fifth game of the season despite being limited in practice while dealing with a shoulder and wrist issue.

Sunday’s game is important, even if the stakes have been changed considerably by the cancelation of the Bills-Bengals game in Week 17. The Ravens need to win to get a chance at hosting the AFC Wild Card, even if that chance would come via a flip of a coin.

The bigger concern is which quarterback will lead Baltimore in the playoffs, whether they’re at home or not. Jackson gives the Ravens the best chance of making waves in the postseason. And it’s not close.

The fact that Harbaugh is still using the word “hopeful” and essentially shrugging over a timeline for Jackson’s return isn’t all that encouraging.