Is Lamar Jackson playing today? Latest injury update for NFL Week 17

Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson remains injured, but will he be playing in Week 17 as his team pushes for an AFC North title? 

It has been over three weeks since Lamar Jackson has played, and it doesn’t look like he’s getting any closer to returning. Jackson suffered a knee injury back at the beginning of December in a win over the Denver Broncos and has been held out of action since.

His absence hasn’t stopped the Ravens from securing a spot in the NFL Playoffs, nor has it completely thrown Baltimore off course from potentially winning the AFC North after falling behind Cincinnati. With two weeks left in the season, the Ravens have a very real shot of reclaiming the division crown, which is a key reason why fans are chomping at the bit to get Jackson back in action.

That situation creates quite a conundrum for Baltimore, however.

There was hope that Jackson would practice this week, but he once again was nowhere to be found.

Jackson not practicing doesn’t bode well for his status for the remainder of the regular season, but that raises the question of what is more important to the Ravens? Should Jackson be rushed back to be a factor in potentially winning the AFC North, or should Tyler Huntley be the man to close the year out as Baltimore lets the chips fall where they may?

Lamar Jackson injury update: Week 17 status

Unfortunately, the Ravens will once again be without Jackson on Sunday.

News that Jackson won’t be playing this Sunday shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise, even though it remains a depressing development. Jackson’s PCL sprain is something the Ravens would probably like to see heal up in time for a playoff return rather than a return during the regular season, but the division crown being on the line raises the stakes.

If Baltimore is able to win the AFC North, it can secure the No. 3 seed and host a playoff game in three weeks. Losing out to the BEngals, and landing in the Wild Card, likely sets up a first-round matchup in which the Ravens will need to go on the road to Cincinnati or Jacksonville — depending on how the AFC Wild Card standings stack up.

But all of this is assuming that the Ravens can’t get the job done with Huntley at quarterback. Without Jackson, Baltimore is 3-1 and managed to stay the course.

With a tough but winnable matchup against the Steelers on Sunday, the question to ask is whether or not Jackson will return in Week 18 for a game against the Bengals that very well could decide the winner of the AFC North.