Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson
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Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson got lucky with a recent foot injury.
The Baltimore Ravens appear to have dodged a bullet with the injury to all-world quarterback Lamar Jackson. But they also might have jumped the gun a little bit with their initial declaration.
Despite a team spokesman insisting Jackson was “fine” after being stepped on during an Aug. 20 practice, he still needed X-rays. Head coach John Harbaugh said his “prayers (got) answered” with Jackson’s clean results, and ESPN’s Adam Schefter believes the situation was more concerning than the Ravens made it sound.
“It sounds like it was a little bit scarier than the Ravens let on,” Schefter said on a recent episode of “NFL Live” talking about Jackson’s injury. “Because they did take the X-rays, they did say there were no signs of broken bones or any issues, and John Harbaugh admitted that his prayers were answered. If it was anything that was nothing, he wouldn’t have to pray that Lamar Jackson’s X-rays would turn out the way they did.”
Ravens Likely to Ease Lamar Jackson Back Into Action
The Ravens still have one more preseason game to play, against the Washington Commanders, but considering Jackson hasn’t played a preseason contest in years, he almost certainly would have sat out if fully healthy. But it wouldn’t be surprising if Jackson misses a few more practices in order to get 100% ahead of a Week 1 showdown with the Buffalo Bills.
"If it was anything that was nothing, [John Harbaugh] wouldn't have to pray that Lamar Jackson's X-rays would've turned the way that it did."@AdamSchefter says it sounds like Lamar Jackson's foot injury is scarier than the Ravens lead on 😯 pic.twitter.com/LHDuccobuM
— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) August 21, 2025
“Look, they don’t have to have Lamar Jackson out there right now,” Schefter added. “They need him out there for the start of the regular season. I would imagine they’d give that foot a couple of weeks to heal. It certainly sounds like the tests came back as well as they could have hoped, but they’re going to be smart with Lamar Jackson, and they’re not going to stick him out there any sooner than he has to be.”
Ravens’ Hopes Tied to Jackson Above All Else
One could argue there’s not a quarterback in the NFL who’s more important to his team’s success than Jackson. Sure, the Ravens have a talented roster around Jackson, and it’s a team that should still make the playoffs with league-average quarterback play.
But there’s no player who can change a game as quickly and as many ways as Jackson, who can hurt teams with his arm and his legs.
“Best space runner in the NFL, and he’s such a good passer now,” a defensive coordinator recently told ESPN.com. “He probably doesn’t get enough credit for how he’s improved there.”
Another, insider, a veteran personnel staffer, told ESPN.com: “I think he had to grow up as a passer. He was always more athletic than everyone else, so why not run? But he had to stay in the pocket a little bit more to prolong his career, and he’s doing that increasingly well.”
Jackson’s improvement as a passer has certainly reduced the need for him to take off and run. Despite that, he still does so at an elite level. His 915 rushing yards in 2024 were his most since 2020.
So when you’re talking about a foot or leg injury of any kind, it’s easy to see why there was so much concern — perhaps even more than the Ravens wanted to admit.