Lamar Jackson left the Baltimore Ravens’ Week 4 win over the Tennessee Titans early with an ankle injury. He didn’t return, but stayed in pads and was active on the sideline throughout the second half. With everything we know, there’s no reason to panic yet.
Following the game, head coach Jesse Minter provided an update that was both optimistic and somewhat uncertain.
“He’s dealing with a little bit of an ankle [injury]. I don’t know enough about it right now,” Minter said. “There were some talks about him [returning to the game]. Hopefully it’s in a good spot.”
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport also reported Jackson’s injury as a day-to-day issue.
When leaving the stadium, Jackson was seen wearing a boot. That’s expected, though. It’s always best to stabilize the ankle, no matter how serious the injury is.
A combination of factors went into the decision to keep Jackson out of action. Since it was 24-7 at halftime, and dreary conditions came in later in the game, it was the best call to keep Jackson out.
The alarm bells shouldn’t be ringing yet.
Lamar Jackson’s injury shouldn’t be something to panic over just yet
The Titans made this game way too close at the end, but realistically, the Ravens had this one in the bag. While that late fourth-quarter touchdown probably had fans scared of the late-game ghost, the team held their own for much of the second half without Jackson.
Despite being shut out in the second half, the offense did well enough to milk that clock, holding the ball for over 11 minutes in the fourth quarter. On defense, they limited Tennessee to three points that half, until a miracle play from Cam Ward led to a touchdown with less than two minutes to play.
Simply put, Jackson wasn’t needed. And the fact that he was suited up, active on the sideline, and even had conversations about going back in should be telling that the injury wasn’t affecting him that badly.
There are signs that this was a play-it-safe decision for Baltimore.
The Ravens’ offensive line was struggling early and often. Both spots protecting Jackson’s blindside had bad first halves. Ronnie Stanley didn’t look good in his return from his toe injury, and John Simpson looked silly at times.
That’s not a line you want your two-time MVP back behind if he’s already dealing with an ankle injury. It’s not worth risking.
The weather at M&T Bank got worse as the game went on, as well. The rain picked up, and things got rather sloppy. For a player who’s on the move as much as Jackson, that’s another factor that may have played into keeping Jackson out for the rest of the contest.
This is also the Titans we’re talking about. No disrespect to them; they made it close. However, they’re a winless team four weeks into the 2026 campaign, and the Ravens have plenty more important games on their schedule. It wouldn’t have been smart to force Jackson back into the game, and evidently, he wasn’t needed.
Of course, this is still an injury to watch. The image of Jackson’s ankle getting rolled up looks really bad. Thankfully, though, the initial reports are relatively optimistic.
Add us as a preferred source on Google