What’s wrong with Lamar Jackson? Ravens star denies injuries are root of slump after loss to Bengals
The Baltimore Ravens flipped a switch when Lamar Jackson returned, quickly getting back to their winning ways, but some wins in recent weeks came in spite of an uncharacteristically sluggish offense.
On Thanksgiving, the Ravens’ offensive lapses caught up to them. Baltimore committed five turnovers against a Cincinnati Bengals defense that had struggled all season long, and the Ravens were blown out on their home field.
While Joe Burrow’s return was a factor for the Bengals, Jackson and the Ravens left plenty on the table on Thanksgiving night. For Jackson, his last four games can officially be labeled a mini-slump that is starting to raise questions regarding whether he is close to 100 percent healthy.
Here’s a closer look at Jackson’s slump and what the reasons could be.
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What’s wrong with Lamar Jackson?
The problem for the Ravens early in the season was the defense, which looked historically bad at times before Jackson went down with a hamstring injury that cost him three starts.
Since Jackson has returned, the script has flipped. Aside from a dominant return against the Miami Dolphins, the two-time MVP hasn’t come close the kind of production he was putting up last season or in the early weeks of this season. The defense, on the other hand, did enough for the Ravens to still manage wins over the Minnesota Vikings, Cleveland Browns and New York Jets.
On Thursday, Jackson and the offense hit rock bottom. The Bengals forced five turnovers, including two fumbles and an interception by Jackson.
Jackson’s rushing production indicates he might not be fully healthy. He ran for just 71 yards on 25 carries over his first four games back from injury and appeared to pass up on some opportunities to run against the Jets in Week 12. Jackson was a bit more mobile on Thursday, rushing for 27 yards on six attempts, but he still isn’t matching the efficiency he posted before the hamstring injury.
Could Jackson’s lack of mobility and the protection issues around him be affecting the way defenses attack the Ravens? He has completed less than 60 percent of his passes in four consecutive starts after only recording two such games in 2024. This is the first time in Jackson’s NFL career he has completed less than 60 percent of passes in four consecutive games.
Jackson has also gone three consecutive starts without a passing touchdown, his first such streak since he entered the NFL.
As long as Jackson is setting the wrong kind of career marks, the “slump” label fits. The Ravens know he is talented enough to snap out of a slump at any moment, though questions about the quarterback’s health could complicate that possibility.
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Is Lamar Jackson injured?
Both Jackson and coach John Harbaugh denied after Thursday’s game that injuries are affecting the two-time MVP’s play.
“Uh, yeah, he’s fully healthy to play, absolutely,” Harbaugh said when asked about Jackson’s health.
Jackson also dismissed the question, telling reporters, “No, I just got to be more consistent. I got to make those throws,” when asked whether injuries were limiting him. “I don’t miss them in practice, so I shouldn’t miss them in the game.”
Lamar Jackson was asked if the series of injuries he’s suffered contributed to his poor play tonight: “No, I just gotta be more consistent. I gotta make those throws. I don’t miss them in practice, so I shouldn’t miss them in the game.”
— Sarah Ellison (@sgellison) November 28, 2025
Practice is actually the source of some of the injury questions, as Jackson missed one day of practice in each of the last three weeks with a different injury. A knee injury kept Jackson out of a Wednesday practice before Week 11, an ankle injury forced him to miss another Wednesday ahead of Week 12 and a toe injury sidelined him for Monday’s practice on a short week.
While Jackson and Harbaugh both shot down the idea that injuries are contributing to the Ravens’ offensive struggles at the moment, Jackson’s practice status ahead of Week 14 could provide a partial answer. Thanks to the short week, though, Jackson has an extra three days to recover before a massive matchup with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
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Lamar Jackson stats
2025 stats
StartsComp. rateYardsTDINTRush att.Rush yardsRush TD964.8%1,841154522641
Jackson is still completing nearly 65 percent of passes through nine starts, with 16 total touchdowns to four interceptions. The Ravens star is averaging his fewest yards per carry since his rookie season at 5.1.
Last four games
StartsComp. rateYardsTDINTRush att.Rush yardsRush TD456.0%7681326840
Jackson returned from injury with a bang, tossing four touchdowns and only five incompletions in a prime-time win over the Miami Dolphins, but he has been off his game ever since.
Over his last four starts, Jackson is completing just 56 percent of passes and averaging under 200 yards per game, with just one touchdown pass and three interceptions. Jackson has fumbled four times in those four games, though he didn’t lose any fumbles until Thursday night.
On the ground, Jackson has been close to a non-factor with 3.2 yards per carry and only 84 rushing yards in this recent stretch.
