Update, 7:45 p.m. ET Nov. 9: Ravens coach Jesse Minter said Monday that he expects Jacoby Brissett to start against the Chargers on Monday night, Nov. 16.
Lamar Jackson isn’t ready to call it a season, even if his thumb is telling him otherwise.
The Baltimore Ravens quarterback told teammates within 24 hours of fracturing and dislocating his right thumb that he plans to come back later this season, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported. Jackson’s message to the locker room, as Rapoport paraphrased it, was simple: “Just stay alive.”
It’s the most hopeful news Baltimore has had in weeks. The Lamar Jackson injury looked like a season-ender when it happened. Now, the two-time MVP has given the Ravens a reason to keep fighting, as long as they can keep winning without him.
How Jackson got hurt
The timing was almost cruel. Jackson had just returned after missing three games with a high ankle sprain, and on Baltimore’s very first offensive snap of a Nov. 1 game in Buffalo, he injured the thumb on his throwing hand. He didn’t play again that day, and the Bills rolled to a 36-10 win.
The diagnosis was a fractured and dislocated right thumb that requires surgery. The Ravens placed Jackson on injured reserve on Thursday but have not ruled him out for the season.
According to Rapoport, the typical recovery for this kind of injury runs six to nine weeks.
Teammates who spoke to Jackson after the injury described his words as “energizing,” according to the report. Several had feared his season was already over.
What the 6-to-9-week timeline means
If the recovery goes well, Jackson could be back for the most important part of Baltimore’s schedule.
The Ravens’ official website laid out what each end of that window would mean. A six-week recovery could have Jackson back for the start of the AFC North stretch that closes the season. A nine-week recovery would point to the regular-season finale against Pittsburgh.
| Lamar Jackson injury timeline | Details |
|---|---|
| Injury | Fractured, dislocated right thumb, Nov. 1 at Buffalo |
| Treatment | Surgery; placed on injured reserve |
| Typical recovery | 6 to 9 weeks, per NFL Network |
| Earliest realistic return | Mid-December |
| Latest projected return | Regular-season finale vs. Pittsburgh |
| Ravens’ bye week | Week 13 |
The Ravens’ bye in Week 13 could also help, giving Jackson an extra week of healing without missing a game.
The problem: Baltimore has to stay alive first
Jackson’s plan only matters if the Ravens are still in the race when he’s ready.
That’s no sure thing. Baltimore started the season 4-1 but has now lost four straight to fall to 4-5, scoring fewer than 14 points in each of those losses, according to the team’s website. The latest was a 33-10 loss to Jacksonville on Thursday night.
The quarterback room has been hit harder than anyone could have planned for. Backup Tyler Huntley is out for the season with a turf toe injury, which left the Ravens scrambling for a starter. Head coach Jesse Minter summed up the mood after the Buffalo loss: “There’s no testimony without a test.”
A season of setbacks
This is already the second significant injury of the year for Jackson. The high ankle sprain cost him three games before the trip to Buffalo, and he lasted one snap in his return. Counting that game, Baltimore has gone more than a month without its quarterback on the field for meaningful snaps.
The closing stretch is where Jackson wants to be back. According to BVM Sports, the Ravens finish with games against Cleveland, Cincinnati and Pittsburgh, three division opponents that will likely decide whether Baltimore has any shot at the AFC North or a wild-card spot. If the Ravens can stay within striking distance until then, Jackson’s return could turn those games into a real playoff push.
Enter Jacoby Brissett
Baltimore’s answer was to trade for a veteran. The Ravens sent a 2027 fourth-round pick and a 2028 seventh-round pick to Arizona for Jacoby Brissett and a 2027 fifth-rounder, a deal the teams announced Friday. You can see where it fits among this season’s deals in our NFL trade deadline guide.
Brissett is expected to make his Ravens debut next Monday night against the Los Angeles Chargers. ESPN reported that Brissett has been told Jackson could return this season, which makes his job clear: keep the Ravens in the playoff picture long enough for Jackson to come back.
The matchup helps. The Chargers are 0-8 and just watched Justin Herbert hurt his finger in a 44-22 loss to Houston.
Will the Ravens sell at the deadline?
Before Jackson’s message became public, there was real talk around the league that Baltimore might sell before Tuesday’s 4 p.m. ET deadline. The Brissett trade, combined with Jackson’s plan, suggests the Ravens see things differently.
The biggest name tied to that conversation was Derrick Henry. Fox Sports’ Jay Glazer reported that a Henry trade won’t happen at the deadline, and Henry himself has said he isn’t thinking about changing teams and wants to help Baltimore turn things around.
That’s a clear signal. The Ravens aren’t tearing anything down.
Why it matters for the AFC
A healthy Jackson changes the math for every AFC contender. Even at 4-5, a Ravens team that gets its MVP quarterback back in late December is one nobody wants to see in January.
For Buffalo fans, this story has an extra layer. Jackson was hurt in the Bills’ building, in a game Josh Allen took over after halftime on the way to breaking Jim Kelly’s franchise record for touchdown passes. If Jackson makes it back and the Ravens sneak into the playoffs, a January rematch with Buffalo would be one of the most anticipated games of the postseason. Read more in our Bills vs Vikings preview.
What’s next after the Lamar Jackson injury
The next few weeks are about survival in Baltimore. Brissett gets the Chargers at home on Monday night, and the Ravens need to start stacking wins before their bye.
Jackson, meanwhile, will focus on surgery and rehab. The Ravens have not announced a target date, and any timeline will depend on how the thumb heals. FieldPylon will update this story as the team shares more on his recovery.
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