With just two weeks left in the regular season, the Baltimore Ravens find themselves in a precarious spot-clinging to playoff hopes that are hanging by a thread and now potentially facing Week 17 without their franchise quarterback, Lamar Jackson.
Jackson, who suffered a back injury in the Ravens’ Week 16 matchup, has yet to participate in practice this week, and his status for Saturday night’s game against the 9-5 Green Bay Packers remains uncertain. According to NFL’s Next Gen Stats, Baltimore’s playoff chances sit at just 9% heading into the weekend-but a win over Green Bay would more than double that number to 22%. The stakes couldn’t be higher.
But the injury isn’t the only storyline swirling around Jackson and the Ravens right now. A recent column from a well-known Baltimore voice has stirred the pot, suggesting there’s growing tension between Jackson, head coach John Harbaugh, and the front office.
The piece raised concerns about Jackson’s conditioning and the time he’s taken to recover from injuries this season. It even floated the idea that the Ravens should consider all options with Jackson this offseason, hinting that the former MVP might be eyeing a return to his native South Florida-specifically, a potential future with the Dolphins, who may be evaluating their own quarterback situation.
While that kind of speculation is par for the course this time of year, it’s clear the Ravens and Jackson are approaching a critical juncture. NFL insider Ian Rapoport echoed that sentiment, calling the situation “an inflection point” for both sides.
He noted that Jackson had the opportunity to extend his contract before the season began-a move many expected-but talks stalled. Now, with the Ravens on the outside looking in on the playoff picture, the offseason could bring some difficult conversations about the future of the team’s most important player.
“There need to be some conversations about how everyone can move forward together,” Rapoport said Thursday. “I’m not saying anything is going to blow up, but it’s time to figure some things out.”
For his part, Harbaugh pushed back hard against the idea that there’s a rift between him and his quarterback. Speaking to reporters the same day the column dropped, Harbaugh called his relationship with Jackson “A+” and dismissed claims that he’s “tired” of the quarterback. He also flatly denied a report that Jackson had fallen asleep in team meetings this season.
From The Insiders on @NFLNetwork: Once they head into the offseason, the #Ravens have a few things to sort out for 2026. pic.twitter.com/cyfCwxhYcE
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) December 25, 2025
Still, with the Ravens sitting at 7-8 and two games behind the AFC North-leading Pittsburgh Steelers, time is running out. The Steelers, who already hold a head-to-head win over Baltimore, would clinch the division with a win or tie against the Browns in Week 17. That result would also eliminate the Ravens from playoff contention, regardless of how they perform against Green Bay.
If Pittsburgh stumbles and Baltimore can win out-including a Week 18 rematch with the Steelers-the door remains open, albeit barely. Division tiebreakers would then come into play, with divisional records potentially deciding who moves on and who goes home.
Currently, Pittsburgh is 3-1 in AFC North games, while Baltimore sits at 3-2. The Steelers still have two divisional games left: the Browns this week and the Ravens in the finale.
So yes, the Ravens need help. But first and foremost, they need to take care of their own business-and they may have to do it without Lamar Jackson. Whether this is just another injury hiccup or the beginning of a larger shift in Baltimore’s future, one thing is clear: Week 17 is shaping up to be a defining moment for a team-and a quarterback-at a crossroads.