The Baltimore Ravens waited three weeks to get Lamar Jackson back from an ankle injury. His return lasted one play.
Jackson injured the thumb on his throwing hand on Baltimore's first offensive snap Sunday against the Buffalo Bills. The injury will require surgery, and the Ravens are placing him on injured reserve, guaranteeing that he will miss at least the next four games.
As if losing Jackson wasn't damaging enough, backup Tyler Huntley left later in the first half with a toe injury and couldn't return. Baltimore eventually turned to undrafted rookie Joe Fagnano in a 36-10 loss that dropped the Ravens to 4-4 and last place in the AFC North.
The result leaves Baltimore with immediate questions about how it will get through Thursday night's game against Jacksonville and a much larger one about whether the Ravens can keep their season alive long enough for Jackson to return.
Jackson had already missed Baltimore's previous three games because of an ankle injury suffered in early October. He returned to full practice during the week and was cleared to face Buffalo, giving the Ravens hope that their offense could finally regain some stability.
Instead, his first passing attempt ended with his right hand colliding with Bills edge rusher Gregory Rousseau.
Jackson immediately left the field and did not return. Baltimore later confirmed that the thumb injury requires surgery and will send him to injured reserve.
The minimum IR absence would take Jackson through games against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Los Angeles Chargers, Carolina Panthers, and Houston Texans. Baltimore then has its bye in Week 13, meaning the earliest realistic return under that timeline would be Week 14 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The transcript raised the possibility that Jackson could miss the remainder of the season. That has not been confirmed. For now, the Ravens have only established that he will miss at least four games, with his longer-term timetable dependent on his recovery from surgery.
Even the minimum absence creates an enormous problem. Jackson has appeared in only four games this season after playing 13 in 2025. He also played only 12 games in both 2021 and 2022, making availability an increasingly significant part of the broader conversation around Baltimore's franchise quarterback.
Huntley initially replaced Jackson against Buffalo, but Baltimore's backup quarterback didn't make it through the first half.
He suffered a toe injury in the second quarter and was unable to return. The transcript raised concern that Huntley could be dealing with turf toe, but the Ravens have not publicly announced that diagnosis. Head coach Jesse Minter said after the game that the team was still uncertain about Huntley's status.
The short turnaround makes the injury particularly problematic. Baltimore hosts Jacksonville on Thursday night, giving Huntley only four days to recover.
That leaves Fagnano as the next quarterback in line.
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The undrafted rookie from UConn made his regular-season NFL debut after Huntley's injury and completed 10 of 21 passes for 91 yards with an interception and a lost fumble. Buffalo recorded four sacks and 12 quarterback hits against Huntley and Fagnano combined.
Fagnano had impressed during the preseason, when he led all NFL quarterbacks with 509 passing yards across three games. That is a far different environment from being thrown into a regular-season game against Buffalo with almost no preparation as the primary quarterback.
Baltimore managed only 144 total yards Sunday, including 52 in the first half.
The Ravens also don't have much established depth behind Fagnano. Baltimore carried Jackson, Huntley, and Fagnano on its initial 53-man roster, while Skylar Thompson is on injured reserve. The team may need to add another quarterback before Thursday regardless of Huntley's prognosis.
Baltimore's problem extends well beyond one ugly afternoon in Buffalo.
The Ravens have lost three consecutive games and now sit at 4-4. Pittsburgh improved to 6-2 on Sunday, Cincinnati moved to 5-2, and Cleveland sits at 5-3.
Baltimore isn't merely chasing one team for the AFC North. It is currently behind all three division rivals.
That makes the timing of Jackson's injury particularly damaging. The Ravens have already lost division games to Cleveland and Cincinnati, leaving them with less margin for error in both the division race and potential tiebreakers.
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The immediate schedule isn't forgiving, either. Jacksonville comes to Baltimore on Thursday at 5-2 after beating Indianapolis 42-7. The Ravens then host the Chargers before road games against Carolina and Houston.
Those are the four games Jackson is guaranteed to miss once he goes on injured reserve.
If Baltimore can survive that stretch around .500, a late-season push may still be possible. If the Ravens lose several of them while Jackson is sidelined, his eventual return may arrive after the playoff race has effectively moved beyond them.
Much depends on Huntley. Baltimore has seen him win games before, and the offense can function at a competent level with him under center. Asking Fagnano to keep pace in a crowded AFC playoff race would be an entirely different challenge.
This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network .
