Lamar Jackson says he'll play vs. Steelers with AFC North title on the line
Ravens QB said he feels good enough to face the Steelers in a game the Ravens (8-8) have to win to make the playoffs.
Lamar Jackson said he feels good enough to face the Steelers in a game the Ravens (8-8) have to win to make the playoffs. Michael Reaves / Getty Images
Quarterback Lamar Jackson pronounced himself ready to play Sunday night when the Baltimore Ravens face the Pittsburgh Steelers at Acrisure Stadium in a matchup that will decide the AFC North.
“100 percent,” Jackson said. “I’m going to be out there.”
Jackson’s comments came after Thursday’s practice, in which he was a full participant for a second straight day. This stands to be Jackson’s first full week of practice in nearly two months, as he’s missed time with hamstring, knee, ankle, toe and back injuries, along with an illness.
Jackson was sidelined for Baltimore’s 41-24 victory over the Green Bay Packers last Saturday due to a significant contusion in his lower back. He sustained the injury while taking a knee to the back from New England Patriots rookie safety Craig Woodson in the Ravens’ 28-24 loss on Dec. 21. It was the fourth game that Jackson has missed this year.
The two-time league Most Valuable Player didn’t practice at all last week, but he said that he concluded earlier this week that he felt good enough to face the Steelers (9-7) in a game the Ravens (8-8) have to win to make the playoffs.
“I’m doing a lot of treatment to try and get that contusion out of there as much as possible, but I feel great right now,” Jackson said Thursday.
Jackson said that he will wear extra padding in his back area, which he said he hasn’t done since his rookie year in 2018. He doesn’t expect that to hinder his ability to throw.
“I’m trying to keep my back protected,” he said.
Jackson has had one of the most challenging seasons of his career. However, a win Sunday against a Steelers team that has given him and the Ravens issues in recent years would give Baltimore a chance to salvage its season as the AFC North champions.
The Ravens are just 3-5 in Jackson’s eight career starts against the Steelers, but did beat Pittsburgh twice last season, including in the playoffs.
Jeff Zrebiec is a senior writer for The Athletic covering the Baltimore Ravens. Before joining The Athletic in 2018, he spent the previous 18 years as a writer for The Baltimore Sun, 13 of them on the Orioles or Ravens beats. The New Jersey native is a graduate of Loyola University in Baltimore. Follow Jeff on Twitter