In the midst of the biggest week of their season, the Baltimore Ravens have dealt with plenty of off-the-field rumors. After backup quarterback Tyler Huntley helped keep Baltimore in the playoff hunt in a Week 17 win, many wondered if it would be a smarter idea to start Huntley in the regular season finale.
Pair that with some confusing reports surrounding star quarterback Lamar Jackson recently, and Jackson was the victim of some unfair slander. On Thursday, the two-time MVP officially confirmed he would be available for the winner-takes-all battle against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 18. After two days of logging full participation in practice, Jackson looks ready to go.
That same day, Jackson cleared the air on the reports of him having a bad relationship with Head Coach John Harbaugh, falling asleep in team meetings, and more. His response allowed Ravens fans to breathe a sigh of relief during the most pressing moment of the 2025 campaign.
Lamar Jackson shot down several accusations from a recent Baltimore Sun column:
— Sarah Ellison (@sgellison) January 1, 2026
He was asked if he has a strong relationship with his head coach John Harbaugh: "Yes. I don't know where that stuff comes from."
Is there any truth to him falling asleep in meetings? "Do you think… pic.twitter.com/FVYT0pstsw
Lamar Jackson clears the air ahead of pivotal Week 18 matchup
The rumors, for the most part, sounded like nonsense from the jump. Earlier in the year, Jackson removed all distractions from the locker room after Baltimore’s poor start. It is highly unlikely that the same player would do things like fall asleep in meetings, play video games until 2 in the morning, and put in an overall lack of effort each week.
Admittedly, the trade rumors were concerning. Ravens fans have been through this before when Jackson was negotiating an extension back in 2023. Ultimately, General Manager Eric DeCosta secured an extension with Jackson just a few months later. Although this upcoming offseason, he will need another new deal. His cap hit is set to inflate to $74.5 million in 2026.
There were rumblings about Baltimore working to ink a new contract before the 2025 campaign got underway. Those talks were ongoing, but halted to focus on the season. If that’s any indication, though, Jackson should receive a re-upped deal this offseason, which will likely make him the NFL’s highest-paid player.
For now, Jackson and the Ravens set their sights on successfully reviving what initially appeared to be a lost year. They can clinch a playoff berth with a Week 18 win, and simultaneously eliminate their arch-rival Steelers.