Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson will have surgery on his right thumb and will be placed on injured reserve, head coach Jesse Minter said after a 36-10 loss to the Buffalo Bills on Sunday, Nov. 1. Jackson was hurt on the Ravens' first offensive play of the game, in his first game back after missing three games with an ankle injury. Minter would not rule out a season-ending absence, answering "potentially" when asked if Jackson could miss the rest of the season.
Jackson threw an incomplete pass on the first play, and his throwing hand hit the wrist of Buffalo pass rusher Gregory Rousseau. Jackson grabbed his hand, went to the sideline and then to the locker room. He returned to the sideline in the third quarter with a cast on his right hand, and did not return to the game. Minter did not say whether the thumb was broken or dislocated, and the team has not announced a surgery date or a recovery timeline.
How the Ravens lost Jackson in Buffalo
Jackson had missed three games with a left ankle injury, suffered against Tennessee when a defender landed on his ankle. He returned to practice in the week before the Buffalo game, and Minter confirmed on Friday that Jackson would start.
The return lasted one snap. On the first play at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, New York, Jackson dropped back to pass and his right hand collided with Rousseau as he threw. The pass fell incomplete. Jackson left the field holding his hand, and the Ravens finished the game without him. Buffalo won 36-10, and Baltimore fell to 4-4 with a third straight loss.
Right tackle Roger Rosengarten spoke about the play after the game. "That first play was super unfortunate," Rosengarten said. "One hand away. Got to get more space away from Lamar, especially on the first one. That one is definitely eating at me, but have to move on to next week." Wide receiver Zay Flowers said he was upset at losing Jackson again. "I was upset," Flowers said. "I want him to play, so I was upset."
What the Ravens face with Jackson on injured reserve
A place on injured reserve means Jackson will miss at least four games. Reports after the game listed those games as Thursday night against Jacksonville, a home game against the Los Angeles Chargers, and road games at Carolina and Houston. Baltimore has a bye in Week 13, so the earliest Jackson could return is Week 14 against Tampa Bay, according to CBS Sports reporting cited after the game. That date is a best case, not a promise, because Jackson still needs surgery and time to heal.
The injury also leaves Baltimore short at quarterback in a short week. Tyler Huntley took over for Jackson in Buffalo, but Huntley suffered a toe injury in the second quarter. That left undrafted rookie Joe Fagnano to play in his NFL debut. Fagnano completed 10 of 21 passes for 91 yards, with one interception and one fumble lost.
Minter also described the moment Jackson was hurt. "When it happened, I think at the time, you're just hoping that maybe it's something small, and then I think pretty quickly kind of realized what had happened," Minter said. Veteran tight end Mark Andrews pointed to the short turnaround before the next game. "But we have a game in four days, so we have to be able to bounce back, get our bodies right, recover the best we can and be able to come back and fight through this adversity," Andrews said.
Why Jackson absence changes the Ravens season
Jackson is a two-time NFL MVP, and the Ravens built their offense around him. The season started with promise in the first year of offensive coordinator Declan Doyle, and Jackson threw four touchdowns on the Ravens' first five drives in the season opener at Indianapolis.
The Ravens have scored three total points in the second halves of their last three games, according to Field Level Media reporting after the Buffalo loss. The Ravens have lost back-to-back games to AFC North rivals during Jackson's ankle absence, and now face Jacksonville on Thursday night with four days to settle a quarterback plan. The NFL trade deadline falls on Nov. 10 at 4 p.m. ET.
For now, the facts are narrow and clear. Jackson hurt his right thumb on his first snap back, he will have surgery, and he will go on injured reserve for at least four games. Minter has not given a diagnosis beyond the thumb injury itself, and has not ruled out Jackson missing the rest of the season. The Ravens host Jacksonville on Thursday night at M&T Bank Stadium.