Lamar Jackson headed for injured reserve: Ravens QB to undergo surgery after injuring thumb vs. Bills

The Baltimore Ravens probably feel like they’re living in a nightmare right now. In Lamar Jackson’s return to the field on Sunday, the two-time NFL MVP got knocked out of the game after suffering a thumb injury on Baltimore’s first offensive play against the Buffalo Bills. 

Following the Ravens’ 36-10 loss, the news went from bad to worse with head coach Jesse Minter revealing that Jackson would be placed on injured reserve. 

“That will be a surgery deal,” Minter said. “He’ll go to IR.”

Putting Jackson on IR means he’ll miss at least four games. Here’s a look at Baltimore’s upcoming schedule: 

Week 9: Jaguars (Thursday night)
Week 10: Chargers
Week 11: at Panthers
Week 12: at Texans
Week 13: Bye 
Week 14: Buccaneers

With Jackson now on injured reserve, the earliest he can return is for that Week 14 game against the Bucs on Dec. 13. Jackson has already missed three games this season due to injury, and this will bring his total to at least seven. 

The thumb injury happened on Baltimore’s first offensive play of the game. On a first-and-10 play, Jackson threw a pass to Zay Flowers, but as he threw the ball, his hand hit a defender’s arm, and after that happened, Jackson was in immediate pain. 

Jackson clearly didn’t feel right, because he quickly ran to the sideline, and at that point, the Ravens’ training staff took him into Baltimore’s locker room at Highmark Stadium. 

The showdown between Jackson and Josh Allen was supposed to be one of the highlights in Week 8, but instead, it turned into a blowout win for Buffalo after Jackson left the game. 

The Ravens have already played three games without Jackson this year, and if those were any indication, things could get ugly over the next few weeks. 

With Jackson on the field during their first four games, the Ravens averaged 29.8 points per game while going 3-1. However, with Jackson out over the past three weeks, they went just 1-2 while averaging just 17.7 points per game. And now, you can add another loss to that tally in a game where the Ravens managed to score just 10 points. 

For Thursday’s game against Jacksonville, it’s still not clear who the starting QB will be. Not only did Jackson get hurt, but Tyler Huntley also had to leave the game after injuring his toe. If Huntley isn’t ready to return, that means QB Joe Fagnano will be getting the first start of his career. 

Fagnano, an undrafted rookie out of UConn, went 10-of-12 for 91 yards with an interception while playing about 2.5 quarters against the Bills.

Who is Ravens’ Joe Fagnano? Baltimore turns to third QB after Lamar Jackson, Tyler Huntley injuries

Zachary Pereles

For Jackson, there’s no guarantee that he’ll return as soon as he’s eligible to come off IR. A thumb injury on the right hand is a brutal one for a quarterback because it impacts their ability to grip the football. Jackson will need that to fully heal before he can return, and since he has to undergo surgery, he likely won’t be back on the field until late December. 

At 4-4, the Ravens will need to keep their head above water until then, or it could be a lost season for Baltimore.