A cascading series of bad moves for the Baltimore Ravens seems to have ended in tragedy. After he missed time earlier in the year with a hamstring injury, Lamar Jackson did not look the same upon returning to the lineup. That became even more apparent with his odd injury report and practice situation.
However, facing the New England Patriots in a pivotal Week 16 game, things took an almighty turn for the worse, as he had to check out of the game before the first half was over. In his place, Snoop Huntley took over under center.
What Happened to Lamar Jackson?
For the first time since his injury, Jackson looked like a sliver of himself last week against the Cincinnati Bengals as they won in a 24-0 shutout. This week, he was putting together a solid first half, especially through the air, before tragedy struck.
On a designed quarterback run, he was unfortunately met by the Patriots’ defensive line, and he was immediately down in play. Moving to the sidelines, he was tended to by the trainers as Huntley took his place on the field.
Now an injury for the #Ravens: Lamar Jackson is going to the locker room.
Tyler Huntley is in the game. Will have more updates when available.
This is what the broadcast showed: pic.twitter.com/oeSRGdLFQ4
— Arye Pulli (@AryePulliNFL) December 22, 2025
But the exact nature of the injury was severe enough that he had to head back to the locker room with time remaining on the clock. Adam Schefter soon confirmed on X, “Ravens QB Lamar Jackson is questionable to return tonight due to a back injury.”
Later in the the third quarter it was announced on the broadcast that Jackson will not return, and the Ravens will have to finish the game with Huntley as their quarterback.
Ranking 16th on PFSN’s QB Impact, Jackson hasn’t had a top-10 finish since Week 3 this year. However, since returning, it has been a consistently weird development, where he is either limited or an outright non-participant in at least one practice each week.
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That has coincided with a brutal stretch of play from the quarterback, who is averaging 191.6 passing yards per game and 23.8 rushing yards per game in his last seven appearances.
Fantasy Impact of Jackson’s Injury
This is a nightmare scenario for the Ravens and fantasy managers. It’s Sunday Night Football. The Ravens need this game to keep their playoff hopes alive. Fantasy managers undoubtedly need at least a solid performance from Lamar Jackson to advance.
We know what the Ravens’ offense looks like with no Jackson. It’s not pretty. Tyler Huntley may be a lot better than Cooper Rush, but it’s a low bar. If Jackson can’t return for the second half, expect a whole lot of running.
It’s bad news for Zay Flowers, who is off to a strong start tonight. But it also hurts Derrick Henry, as the offense will not be nearly as efficient.
This injury could also pose a significant problem for the Ravens next week if they lose the game. There will be absolutely no reason for Jackson to play at less than 100% if the games don’t matter. In all likelihood, if this injury is anything even remotely painful, we won’t see Jackson again this season if the Ravens lose.
Editor’s Note: This is a breaking news story and will be updated throughout the day as more information becomes available.
