At the start of the season, the Baltimore Ravens were being advertised as the odds-on favorite to take home this year’s Lombardi trophy. Now here we are, just a few months later, and they are sporting a losing record while Lamar Jackson is questionable to compete in Week 17.
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It’s been a catastrophe of a season for both the Ravens and Jackson, who will be carrying a $74.5-million cap hit with him for the next two years. In light of the concerns surrounding his cost and injuries, as well as the fact that he’s 3-5 in the playoffs, the two-time MVP is now facing trade talks.
Although his head coach, John Harbaugh, is claiming that he’s “never seen” anything that would suggest otherwise. “That’s not something that I’ve ever witnessed, and I’m in every meeting,” Harbaugh informed the press during his recent trip to the podium.
“I’ll tell ya how I feel about it,” Harbaugh proclaimed. “I’m pretty transparent, all of the guys in the building will tell ya. If I have something of conversation, something that I want to talk to them about, I’m right up front.”
There are plenty of teams that would be more than ecstatic to have Jackson in their building, let alone on their roster. And it seems as if both Harbaugh and the Ravens’ front office are aware of that. Conveniently enough for them, however, even though Jackson is just as aware of the situation as they are, he doesn’t seem to have much interest in playing elsewhere.
The 28-year-old is presumably focusing on ensuring that he will be 100% healthy for the 2026 season, but so too are the Ravens. After all, the franchise’s downfall from this season directly coincided with the multi-week absence that resulted from Jackson having a misdiagnosed hamstring injury.
Whether you’re in support of Jackson, Harbaugh, or the Ravens as a whole, you can’t deny that there are frustrations on all sides right now. The front office is expecting results on the investments that it has made, the coaching staff is expecting more from the players, and the players are expecting more from the franchise and their medical staff.
Suffice to say, this is going to result in Baltimore playing with a chip on its shoulder in 2026. The only difference will be whether or not Jackson is there.
The Ravens know that Jackson gives them the best chance at winning right now, and the dual-threat QB has not vocalized any desire to play elsewhere. So despite what the drama and the headlines may say, there’s no need for Baltimore natives to worry. You didn’t hit anything, and the tire isn’t flat; this is just a bump in the road.
Given the makeup of this team and the veteran leadership that it possesses, there’s no need to panic over the Ravens just yet, because if anything, this is a team that has been defined by its adversities rather than its conquests.
