The Baltimore Ravens' championship hopes lie almost entirely on Lamar Jackson's health, so when he leaves practice early for any reason, there's going to be a commotion whether they like it or not.
Jackson left Wednesday's practice about 40 minutes early, with reports indicating that he was flexing his right wrist before leaving the field. However, the Ravens stated that he merely had his foot stepped on and was doing fine, which head coach John Harbaugh reiterated on Thursday after Jackson missed practice.
"[Jackson] got his foot stepped on, like we said yesterday," Harbaugh told reporters. "They did a quick X-Ray, and there's no damage or anything like that. I'm sure it's a little sore today, so we just kept him inside, but he's fine. He's going to be good."
"It was a big relief. I told the guys, I said, 'Prayers do get answered, because I was praying.' I was praying, and God came through. But yes, [Jackson is] good."
Despite the Ravens downplaying the incident, one prominent insider believes there's more to it than meets the eye. On Thursday's edition of "NFL Live," ESPN's Adam Schefter shared that Jackson's injury might be more serious than the Ravens claim.
"If it was anything that was nothing, [John Harbaugh] wouldn't have to pray that Lamar Jackson's X-rays would've turned the way that it did."@AdamSchefter says it sounds like Lamar Jackson's foot injury is scarier than the Ravens lead on pic.twitter.com/LHDuccobuM
— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) August 21, 2025
“It sounds like it was a little bit scarier than the Ravens let on because they did take X-rays," Schefter said. "They did say there were no signs of any broken bones or any issues, and John Harbaugh admitted that his prayers were answered. So if it was anything that was nothing, he wouldn’t have to pray that Lamar Jackson’s X-rays would turn out the way they did. He didn't practice today, second-straight day."
"And look, they don't have to have Lamar Jackson out there right now, they need him out there for the start of the regular season. So I would imagine they give that foot a couple of weeks to heal. It certainly sounds like the tests came back as well as they could've hoped, but they're going to be smart with Lamar Jackson and they're not going to stick him out there any sooner than they have to.”
Schefter's concerns are valid, but their approach is probably for the best. After all, they'd prefer to make sure he's OK now rather than throw him back on the field and risk re-aggravating the injury, right?
The Ravens wrap up the preseason against the Washington Commanders on Saturday, but they'll only need Jackson back when they face the Buffalo Bills in the regular season opener on Sept. 7.
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