The Ravens have a much bigger problem than Lamar Jackson’s latest injury, and it’s not really close. Jackson’s thumb issue is serious, and the possibility that he could miss the rest of the 2026 season is obviously a blow. But it should not push Baltimore off its long-term plan.
The answer is to keep Jackson and fix the mess in front of him.
That’s the real takeaway here. The outside chatter keeps circling back to whether Baltimore should rethink an extension because Jackson keeps getting hurt, but that misses the point. He is still the quarterback of the future in Baltimore, and the Ravens would be making a mistake if they let injury noise cloud that decision.
Jackson’s recent injuries have not been the kind that should change the organization’s view of him. In Week 4, Tennessee Titans edge rusher Jermaine Johnson II landed on Jackson’s left foot in about the worst way possible, with the 254-pound athlete running at him full speed and crashing down on him with full force. Then on Baltimore’s first offensive play of Week 8, Jackson threw toward Zay Flowers and hit Gregory Rousseau’s arm on the follow-through, which led to a major thumb injury that requires surgery.
You can’t pin either one on Jackson. If anything, both plays are a reminder of how often the protection has failed him.
That’s why the offensive line has to be the focus. Baltimore has pieces, but it has not had a fully healthy unit in front of Jackson yet, and Sunday’s group didn’t look anywhere near NFL-caliber.
The front of Ronnie Stanley, John Simpson, Cam Jurgens, Vega Ioane, and Roger Rosengarten could look at least somewhat competent, but that hasn’t been the reality. Ioane’s return should help, but one player won’t solve the bigger issue.
Stanley and Simpson are the glaring concerns. Jurgens, Ioane, and Rosengarten have shown flashes, but the left side has not held up.
Stanley, the longest-tenured Raven, has long been a steady blindside presence, but that no longer looks like the case. Between injuries, age, and clear regression, he isn’t the same reliable option.
Baltimore may need to replace him by taking a tackle in the first round of the 2027 NFL Draft, especially after finding an up-and-coming guard in Ioane in the 2026 NFL Draft. The Ravens could also cut Stanley with a post-June 1 designation and save $16 million in cap space, then use that money on an above-average tackle in free agency.
Simpson looks like an even bigger problem. That signing is looking like a disaster, and Baltimore needs a new guard next year. Whether that comes through free agency or the draft, Simpson can’t be part of the plan going forward.
Extending Jackson would also help the roster-building side of this. Erasing his massive $84.34 million cap hit would give Baltimore more room to build around him and improve the line.
And beyond the contract math, there’s the player himself. Jackson keeps proving why the Ravens can’t afford to move on.
His leadership, will to win, and desire to play are obvious every time he gets knocked down. People inside the organization clearly respect how hard he works to get back on the field.
Last season, he played through a hamstring injury and other health issues and still appeared in 13 games. He didn’t have to push through those problems, but he did, and he nearly dragged a bad Ravens team into the playoffs in Week 18.
This year has followed a similar script. After a high ankle sprain, he returned three games later even though those injuries usually take four to six weeks to heal.
At this point, it wouldn’t be shocking if he somehow makes another heroic return from what could be a season-ending thumb injury.
Jackson brings more than production. He leads by example and with his voice, and that combination, along with his MVP-caliber play, is exactly why Baltimore should keep him in the fold as long as possible. The Ravens reworked his deal last offseason, and the next step is clear: extend him in 2027.
In Other News...
Derrick Henry Just Became A Ravens Trade Question Fans Can't Ignore
The Ravens are dealing with a familiar kind of noise around Derrick Henry, and it is coming from outside the building. With the Giants already being tied to Jonathan Taylor in trade chatter, another path has opened in the speculation, one that points toward Henry as a possible target ahead of the 2026 NFL trade deadline. For Baltimore, it is the sort of rumor that tends to follow a veteran star when other teams start looking for answers.
Mike Florio has suggested the Giants could pivot to Henry, noting the possibility that Baltimore could land draft-pick compensation if a deal ever got serious. There is also a natural connection in the background, since Giants coach John Harbaugh has prior experience with Henry. For now it is only a layer of offseason intrigue, but with Lamar Jackson and Tyler Huntley both dealing with injuries, the Ravens are once again in the kind of position where every outside whisper about their roster feels a little more relevant. [Read more 🡒]
Ravens Quarterback Crisis Just Forced Another Desperate Move
Lamar Jacksons thumb injury has left Baltimore scrambling to stabilize the most important position on the field, and the Ravens responded by adding another arm to the mix. Kedon Slovis is now on the 53-man roster after coming over from the Green Bay Packers practice squad, a move that underlines just how quickly the depth chart has been turned upside down.
The Ravens are heading into their next game with Joe Fagnano and Austin Reed also in the quarterback room, a thin group for a team that suddenly has to rework its identity on the fly. Inside the locker room, leaders like Roquan Smith and Minter have already acknowledged how difficult the road ahead looks without Jackson, and now Baltimore has to see whether this latest move can buy enough stability to keep the season from slipping further. [Read more 🡒]
Ravens Suddenly Have Another Problem In A Growing Midseason Scramble
The Ravens midseason shuffle got a little busier this week, with the team adding a quarterback as it tries to steady itself at 4-4 heading into a matchup with the Jacksonville Jaguars. Baltimore has already been juggling injuries at the games most important spot, with Tyler Huntley and Lamar Jackson both on the report and Joe Fagnano set to start in Week 8.
Now the concern has spread to special teams, where Tyler Loop has been dealing with an injury and the club may need to make another roster adjustment. It is the kind of added complication that can turn a routine week into a scramble, especially for a team trying to keep its season from slipping while the depth chart keeps changing around it. [Read more 🡒]