BALTIMORE — With the Ravens’ season on the thinnest of ice, the status of quarterback Lamar Jackson for Saturday night’s crucial game against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field remains uncertain.
Jackson missed practice for a second straight day Wednesday. The only player not in attendance, he has been dealing with a back injury that he suffered near the end of the first half of Sunday’s loss to the New England Patriots.
The injury knocked him out of the game and could do the same against the Packers, who Baltimore needs to beat to keep its faint playoff hopes alive. Even with a victory, a win by the Steelers on Sunday against the Browns in Cleveland would wrap up the AFC North title for Pittsburgh (8-6) and eliminate the Ravens (7-8) from playoff contention.
If Jackson is unable to play, Tyler Huntley, who came off the bench in relief on Sunday, would get the start for the second time this season.
Huntley last started in Week 8 and led Baltimore to a 30-16 win over the Chicago Bears at M&T Bank Stadium while Jackson was still out with a hamstring injury that sidelined the two-time NFL Most Valuable Player for three games. In four appearances this season, Huntley has completed 76.6% of his passes for 319 yards and a touchdown. He has also rushed for 91 yards on 16 carries.
Should Jackson not be able to play Saturday and the Ravens are eliminated from the playoffs, it’s also unlikely that he would play in what would be a meaningless regular-season finale in Pittsburgh.
If Jackson doesn’t play again this season, it would mark the third time in his eight years that he was unable to finish a season because of injury.
