The Baltimore Ravens’ 2025 season has been a disaster. Disappointing play from starters, countless injuries, and questionable coaching have led to the team’s downfall.
Quarterback Lamar Jackson’s nagging injuries have been a main talking point this year. After missing three games with a hamstring injury, he has dealt with a new health concern seemingly every week. Now, he is recovering from a back contusion that he suffered in Baltimore’s Week 16 loss to the New England Patriots. It is putting his status for a must-win Week 17 clash with the Green Bay Packers in question.
Still, when Jackson is on the field and healthy, he remains one of the top quarterbacks in football. He was starting to prove that in back-to-back strong starts in Week 15 and Week 16, before leaving last Sunday’s contest in the second quarter with the aforementioned back injury.
Clearly, when the two-time MVP moves well, the struggling offense draws closer to unlocking that elite level they have become known for. There are still significant issues, including the offensive line and the underperformance of pass-catchers. However, Jackson is not a central part of those problems.
Understandably, injuries have become a concern with Jackson. After a nightmare season and a heavy cap hit coming, many are concerned about what the coming offseason has to offer. Mike Preston of The Baltimore Sun’s latest take on Jackson’s situation will have fans horrified.
Latest Lamar Jackson take has fans outraged
Throughout his piece, Preston mentioned that Jackson needs to work harder in the offseason, practice, and the weight room to better prepare himself for the physicality of the NFL week in and week out, and avoid those injuries. He came to the conclusion that a trade could be on the table with Jackson due a ton of money next year. Preston wrote:
“The Ravens should look at possible trades, which net them two or three first-round draft picks. Jackson, a South Florida native, would love to play in Miami…or possibly Las Vegas, where [Tom] Brady, a partial owner of the Raiders, has shown fondness for him. Baltimore should also draft a young quarterback in the early rounds.”
Head Coach John Harbaugh was asked about Preston's comments during Wednesday's press conference and went to bat for his superstar quarterback.
Asked John Harbaugh about this reporting, and Harbaugh said his relationship with Lamar Jackson is “A+.”
— Jonas Shaffer (@jonas_shaffer) December 24, 2025
“I love Lamar. Always have, always will.” https://t.co/AODJAVz9Jo
Yes, Jackson’s injuries are becoming a problem. Yes, his $74.5 million cap hit is insurmountable if the Ravens want to improve and keep their core together. A new contract agreement needs to be reached. If the Ravens want to be competitive again, they need to overcome these issues. Trading Jackson is not the way, though.
Baltimore is in a win-now mode. Several of their stars are right in the middle of their primes or getting closer to the wrong side of 30 years old. Moving a once-in-a-lifetime quarterback to restart with a young piece would be taking about 20 steps backwards as a franchise.
The pass protection has been a leading cause of Jackson’s injuries in 2025. The line has given up 41 sacks, and Jackson has taken countless hits over the course of the year. Even in practice, it seems he cannot escape the day without being stepped on.
To improve that area, they will need Jackson to help free up some cap space, which Preston notes in his article. But overall, General Manager Eric DeCosta’s offseason approach can be flawed. He opted to enter the season with a largely unproven group when he could have brought back a stable offensive guard in veteran Kevin Zeitler, who signed with the Tennessee Titans on a one-year, $9 million deal; a more than reasonable price.
Regardless, it is true that Jackson needs to find a way to stay healthy. It feels like every few years, he will have a season that is completely tarnished by injuries, and obviously, it wrecks the team’s plans. Regardless, Jackson should remain the nucleus for Baltimore’s foreseeable future.