The Baltimore Ravens have had a disastrous start to the 2025 season, and it’s only looking to get worse from here. Lamar Jackson exited the Week 4 match with a hamstring injury midway through the third quarter and did not return after George Karlaftis sacked him.
The Ravens are 1-3 for the third time in franchise history, and with no clear timeline for Jackson’s return, NFL legend Tony Romo isn’t optimistic. He admits he’s “extremely concerned” about the impact the injury could have on Baltimore’s season.
Why Is Tony Romo So Concerned About Lamar Jackson’s Injury?
Ravens fans already had a tough day when they were trailing to the Kansas City Chiefs, but seeing QB Cooper Rush enter made things even worse. Nothing against Rush, but there aren’t many, if any, QBs in the NFL that can play as well as Jackson. He just missed out on winning the MVP award last season, but Jackson knows the main goal in mind is to get over the hump and bring the Ravens to a Super Bowl.
It’s not impossible for a 1-3 team to get there, but who knows what state this team could be in if Jackson misses time. Romo, a former four-time Pro Bowl QB, is spelling worst for Baltimore if Jackson is out for 2-3 weeks.
“If Lamar Jackson does have a hamstring, which is what we reported [Sunday] on why he ended up not being able to finish the game, that makes me extremely concerned because I don’t know if this team defensively can just will them to victories,” Romo said on CBS Sports HQ. “The Chiefs have done that before, where you saw [Steve] Spagnuolo and this defense while they’re going through hiccups on offense just go ahead and figure out ways to win with [Patrick] Mahomes doing his job in the second half.
“You’re not going to have that quarterback if that’s the case, you can’t afford many more losses before you have to go on some crazy run. To me, this is a huge two- or three-week stretch. If I’m a Ravens fan, I’m concerned right now.”
While Jackson hasn’t been at his absolute best over the first four games, he still has managed to keep the Ravens’ offense productive, putting up 111 points through the first three matchups, the most ever for an NFL team with a losing record at that point in the season.
The bigger issues for Baltimore have been turnovers and a struggling defense. Derrick Henry’s fumbles have hurt the team’s momentum, and the Ravens rank dead last against the run, allowing opposing backs to consistently find room to operate. On top of that, the defense is giving up an average of 33.3 points per game, the worst mark in the NFL so far.
If Jackson is sidelined, the outlook grows even more grim. Baltimore is likely to drop at least two of its next three games, and even if Jackson returns to full strength afterward, the combination of a porous defense and early-season setbacks will make a playoff push extremely difficult. The Ravens now face a critical stretch that could define their season, and Romo isn’t alone in fearing the worst.
