Lamar Jackson, Ravens can redefine season of turmoil vs. Steelers: 'I’ve never quit on anything'
The 2025 season has been a struggle for Lamar Jackson. But with his future with the Ravens uncertain, Week 18 presents a huge opportunity.
OWINGS MILLS, Md. — There are televisions pretty much everywhere at the Under Armour Performance Center. They are all over the player’s dining area. They are inside the weight room and outside the training room. Three large televisions even survived the team’s early-season purge of games from the locker room.
As safety Kyle Hamilton pointed out earlier this week, it’s impossible to avoid the outside conversation about the team and its quarterback, tight end Mark Andrews described Wednesday as “polarizing.”
There’s plenty being said about Lamar Jackson these days, including at the team facility, where players have found themselves discussing their star quarterback and the constant dialogue surrounding everything from his health to his future in Baltimore to how he deals with the constant scrutiny.
“He’s a two-time MVP and the face of the franchise. People are probably going to talk a little bit,” Hamilton said. “But it’s not with any negative connotation attached to it.”
The first big question about Jackson this week has been answered. Will he play in Sunday’s winner-takes-the-AFC-North/loser-goes-home matchup with the Pittsburgh Steelers at Acrisure Stadium?
Yes, that’s the plan, according to Jackson, barring a late-week setback because of the back injury that sidelined him for last week’s game against the Green Bay Packers. For a second straight day, Thursday, Jackson was a full participant in the Ravens’ practice, and the quarterback made clear following the workout that he fully expects to play against the Steelers.
“100 percent,” Jackson said. “I’m going to be out there. I feel great right now.”
Jackson did say that he plans to wear extra padding to protect his lower back area.
“I’m trying to keep my back protected,” he said.
It’s been a challenging season for Jackson, who’s been dealing with a variety of physical issues since at least Week 4, if not earlier. He’s been slowed by hamstring, knee, ankle, toe and back injuries. All told, he’s missed four games and been knocked out of two others. This could be his first full week of practice since the days leading into a Week 10 matchup against the Minnesota Vikings. That was nearly two months ago.
“Obviously, this year hasn’t been the way he’s drawn it up, but he’s a fighter, and he’s going to continue to fight for this organization,” Andrews said. “Everybody in this organization has trust in Lamar. He’s one-of-one. I’m excited to take the field with him this week, because that’s our guy. He knows the type of opportunity that we have, and we’re going to fight our butts off.”
When on the field over the last three months, Jackson has rarely looked like himself, lacking the explosiveness, elusiveness and decisiveness that typically define his game when he’s in peak form. Jackson amazingly doesn’t have a run of 20 yards or more all season. In comparison, backup Tyler Huntley, who has seen action in five games this year, has two runs of 25-plus yards and another for 19 yards.
