The Baltimore Ravens began the season 1-5 and appeared to be headed toward a completely lost year, especially with star quarterback Lamar Jackson sidelined for multiple games.
However, the Ravens have since rallied with four straight wins, three of them coming after Jackson's return from his hamstring injury, and they now sit at 5-5 ahead of Sunday's Week 12 matchup against the New York Jets.
But ahead of the game, a concerning report surfaced regarding Jackson. Despite making a full recovery from his earlier hamstring issue, he's now dealing with several lingering bumps and bruises - though he downplayed their significance this week, saying, "It's just a part of football."
Jackson made it clear the nagging injuries haven't affected his performance.
"If it just happened in the game, probably," Jackson said, via a team transcript. "But if you were injured, took some time off, and you were able to come back, I doubt it."
Jackson sat out of practice on Wednesday and has recently been skipping the early portions of the practice week - something he revealed will likely continue for the rest of the season. He still returns on Thursdays and Fridays, the most important practice days for players expected to suit up on Sunday.
Jackson is coming off a rough performance against the Cleveland Browns, completing just 56.0% of his passes for 193 yards with zero touchdowns and two interceptions.
Still, he's having a solid year overall. Through seven games, Jackson has completed 68% of his passes for 1,442 yards, 15 touchdowns, and only three interceptions. He's also run far less than in previous seasons, totaling just 226 rushing yards and one touchdown so far. Playing through pain could certainly be influencing some of his decision-making.
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