Lamar Jackson thumb injury turns Ravens’ Week 8 return into new setback

The Lamar Jackson thumb injury turned what was supposed to be the Baltimore Ravens’ Week 8 reset into another major setback on Sunday. Jackson, returning from a high ankle sprain that cost him three games, suffered what might be a season-ending thumb injury on his first pass as Baltimore lost 36-10 to the Buffalo Bills.

The Ravens now face another spell without their superstar quarterback, with Jackson set to land on injured reserve. The latest injury has intensified questions about his availability, his future value and how Baltimore can plan beyond the immediate NFL season.

A return that lasted one pass

Baltimore’s matchup with Buffalo was billed in the article as Jackson’s grand return after three games out with a high ankle sprain. Instead, the Week 8 game became the latest entry in what the article described as Jackson’s never-ending list of injuries.

The result was damaging on two levels. The Ravens were beaten 36-10 by the Bills, and Jackson’s thumb injury now leaves the team preparing for another period without him.

That matters because Baltimore’s results without Jackson have been uneven across several seasons. The Ravens are now 1-3 this season when he does not play, or barely plays. Last year, they went 2-2 when he was sidelined by hamstring and back injuries.

The availability trend behind Baltimore’s concern

The article frames the issue not simply as one bad afternoon, but as a broader pattern for a team built around one of the NFL’s most dynamic quarterbacks.

In 2021, the Ravens went 1-4 without Jackson and missed the playoffs entirely. In 2022, they went 2-4 without him, a mark that includes a wild-card loss.

The article also points to what happened after Jackson returned last season. It states that even after he came back, he was not the same player, slumping in the passing game and becoming less effective as a runner.

Baltimore went 5-4 in Jackson’s final nine starts, losing its division lead and then a playoff berth in the regular-season finale. That stretch is presented as part of the argument that the Ravens’ problem is not only whether Jackson can get back on the field, but whether he can return at his usual level.

Contract debate grows more complicated

Jackson once looked as if he was headed toward a lucrative contract extension after this season. The article says some believed he might even become the first NFL player to reach $70 million per year.

That idea is now framed as far harder for Baltimore to justify. The article states the Ravens cannot commit to Jackson long term, and says they cannot hand him a $300 million-plus deal while spending the next half decade hoping his body holds up.

The case against such a contract is tied to age and availability. Jackson is 29 now. The article notes that he won his second MVP award three years ago, was runner-up two years ago and remains capable of an MVP-level performance whenever he is on the field.

But the latest injury shifts the discussion. The question is no longer only how high Jackson’s ceiling remains, but how often Baltimore can count on seeing it.

What happens next for the Ravens

With Jackson headed to injured reserve, Baltimore must again operate without the quarterback who defines its offense. The immediate issue is surviving the next stretch of the season after a lopsided loss to Buffalo.

The longer-term issue is more complicated. The article’s central argument is that the Ravens must plan for a future without Jackson, even while acknowledging that he can still deliver elite performances when healthy.

That uncertainty is also echoed elsewhere in the article’s Week 8 takeaways, which state that the Minnesota Vikings should not commit this entire season to Kyler Murray. For Baltimore, though, the focus is sharper: Jackson’s latest injury has turned a hoped-for return into another test of how much of the franchise’s future can safely depend on him.