Lamar Jackson appears to have avoided the worst-case scenario.
Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh told reporters on Monday that his star quarterback is day-to-day with the back injury that forced him to exit Sunday's loss to the New England Patriots.
Jackson had an MRI that revealed no damage beyond a "significant contusion," Harbaugh added.
The two-time MVP sustained a back bruise in the second quarter of the Ravens' 28-24 loss. After being kneed by safety Craig Woodson just after the two-minute warning, Jackson handed the ball off to Keaton Mitchell before shuffling to the sideline during a timeout.
He then hobbled into the locker room, too sore to return in a game the Ravens desperately needed to win to stay in the thick of the playoff hunt.
“He couldn’t go,” coach John Harbaugh said after the game. “If he could have gone, he would have gone.”
The loss dropped Baltimore (7-8) two games behind first-place Pittsburgh in the AFC North with two games to go.
The Ravens are no longer in control of their own destiny, and aren't sure if Jackson will be available to help keep their hopes alive with a victory in Green Bay on Saturday night.
It's been a trying season for Jackson, who last year finished second in the balloting for MVP and was expected to carry the Ravens deep into the post-season in 2025.
Jackson missed three games earlier this season because of a hamstring injury, and since returning he's been listed with knee, ankle and toe problems as well as an illness that caused him to miss a practice before facing the Patriots.
His absence contributed heavily to Baltimore's 1-5 start. The Ravens regrouped upon his return and remained in control of their own destiny until they blew an 11-point lead in the fourth quarter against New England.
— With files from the Associated Press
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