The Baltimore Ravens were finally getting healthier in Week 7. Cam Jurgens made his team debut, and Lamar Jackson made strides in practice. The offensive line had all five starters in action, but another injury threw a wrench into things in Sunday’s loss — Vega Ioane is expected to miss time with an MCL sprain.
Ioane is easily Baltimore’s best offensive lineman. He’s held his own in pass protection and is perhaps their only run blocker you can consistently trust. And while Jurgens looked great against the Cincinnati Bengals, the rest of the line struggled.
With Ioane likely out for a bit, life will get a lot tougher for Jackson. He’s already recovering from an ankle sprain, and now the backbone of the interior offensive front is injured.
Jackson isn’t guaranteed to return in Week 8, but there’s reason for optimism. If he does, he’ll potentially step back into a tougher situation up front.
Things are never easy in Baltimore.
Lamar Jackson’s eventual return won’t be easy with Vega Ioane’s injury
Whether it’s this week or next week, Lamar Jackson will probably have to start a game or two without Vega Ioane in front of him. Ioane’s injury is reportedly short-term; it can’t be overstated how big of a loss this will be, though.
Ioane’s already done a ton of good in his NFL career. He’s allowed 8 pressures over 403 offensive snaps and has been a devastating run blocker with a 71.4 run-blocking grade, per Pro Football Focus.
He also showed mental and physical toughness in his first seven games. The 22-year-old scaled the NFL learning curve quickly and seamlessly transitioned to center after the Ravens endured a barrage of injuries. Whether it's guard or center, Ioane looks fantastic.
That’s the player Jackson has needed for the past several seasons. It’ll suck to see that piece missing, even if it’s only brief.
Of course, Jackson’s dealing with a high ankle sprain, too. That’ll affect his mobility. Combine that with the offensive line losing its best blocker for a little bit, and it’s bound to get tricky.
Ravens' offensive line is going to take a massive hit without Ioane
In Ioane’s place, Jackson won’t get much help. Cam Jurgens played like a lineman he can trust last week, but the other two guards provide some highly questionable play.
At left guard, you’re looking at John Simpson, and right guard, it’ll be either Andrew Vorhees or Emery Jones Jr. None of them are playing well right now.
Simpson allowed 4 pressures against Cincinnati, and is up to 14 pressures and 5 penalties in 2026. His pass-blocking grade is also a disgustingly bad 44.0, per PFF. The veteran guard just hasn't been what he needs to be after being signed this past season.
Vorhees and Jones aren’t any better.
Vorhees was a disaster in 2025, and although his limited action in 2026 has been slightly better, he’s a negative asset. After surrendering 28 pressures, 8 QB hits, and 3 sacks last year, that’s not a player you want starting up front.
And neither is Jones. In fact, Jones is simply unplayable with what he’s showing right now. In 172 offensive snaps this season, he’s already given up 5 pressures and 4 sacks. If he starts in Ioane’s place, it won’t be good.
You can’t put Jackson in danger, especially coming off a lower-body injury. But that’s what’ll likely happen when he returns. The newly-built offensive line that was supposed to do a better job of protecting Jackson is battling another injury.
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