Baltimore Ravens coach John Harbaugh announced Wednesday that QB Lamar Jackson will not play Saturday against the Pittsburgh Steelers, the team’s regular-season finale. Tyler Huntley will make the start for Baltimore in Jackson’s place.
The move to sit out Jackson gives him at least a 19-day break before playing in the AFC divisional round; the Ravens (13-3) clinched the AFC’s No. 1 seed and a first-round bye last week. Harbaugh said of the move: “It’s really not any one thing that goes into it. Just all things considered, it seemed to be the right thing to do. We had conversations with Lamar and others and made the decision.” Jackson added: “I’m cool with it. Me and Coach talked about it. I feel like it was best to sit me.”
After the Ravens secured the No. 1 seed in the AFC before the final game of the regular season in 2019, Jackson and six other starters sat out in the finale. That year, however, the Ravens were defeated in a 28-12 upset loss to the Tennessee Titans in the divisional round. Said Jackson when asked about that year: “2019 is over with. We’re always talking about it — I find myself talking about it. It’s different. That was just my first full season in the NFL. But it’s a lot different mindset, different group of guys. I feel like all-around we’re different.” Harbaugh pushed back about that year as well: “We didn’t score enough points, but it wasn’t like we weren’t moving the ball,” Harbaugh said. “I think we had really good practices and guys had good spirits. I think we had a good game plan, we just didn’t get the job done in certain plays. So that’s how football goes. I guess the long-winded point here is that you just look at where you’re at with your team at this time and make the decisions that are best as you see it.”
Jackson is in his first full season since 2020 (after suffering an ankle injury in 2021, and a sprained knee in 2022). He is the favorite to win his second NFL MVP award, throwing five touchdowns and recording a perfect passer rating in a 56-19 rout of the Miami Dolphins last Sunday. Jackson has thrown 14 touchdown passes and two interceptions for a 109.8 passer rating, averaging 250.2 yards passing and 56.7 yards rushing.
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