Will Lamar Jackson play in the NFL Playoffs? [UPDATED]
Will Lamar Jackson play for the Ravens in the NFL playoffs after missing the final five games of the regular season with injury?
The Ravens won’t have Lamar Jackson available for their regular-season finale against the Bengals on Sunday. But will they have him back for the playoffs?
The star quarterback sprained his knee in Week 13 and hasn’t been able to practice since. Head coach John Harbaugh’s updates on Jackson’s timetable for a return haven’t been encouraging.
Regardless of what happens against Cincinnati, Baltimore will be looking ahead to the playoffs wondering if they’ll have Jackson available. The latest report from Adam Schefter suggests there’s a chance.
Will Lamar Jackson play in the NFL Playoffs? [UPDATED]
“Despite being ruled out for Sunday’s regular-season finale, not having practiced once in over a month, and still having swelling in his knee, Ravens’ quarterback Lamar Jackson has ‘a strong chance’ of playing Baltimore’s wild-card game next weekend, per a league source,” Schefter tweeted on Saturday.
That’s either good news or concerning news if you’re a Ravens fan.
On one hand, having Jackson back could be huge for Baltimore’s hopes of advancing in the playoffs. He’s their most outstanding offensive weapon and it’s hard to imagine them doing any damage in the postseason without him.
On the other hand, Schefter’s tweet made clear the biggest concern for bringing Jackson back: He might not be ready.
Jackson hasn’t been practicing and his knee is still giving him problems. He’s at his best when he can threaten defenses with his mobility. Throwing him back into action at less than 100 percent could backfire. Potentially playing poorly would be one concern. Suffering further injury is another even bigger long-term worry.
As Harbaugh said earlier in the week, the Ravens don’t know how Jackson’s knee will respond over the next week. So it’s still a mystery whether he’ll play or not.
