Ravens coach John Harbaugh did not provide an update on the status of quarterback Lamar Jackson, who exited in the third quarter of Baltimore’s 37-20 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday due to a hamstring injury.
“We’ve got a pretty good feel on all of the injuries, with the different guys,” Harbaugh said on Monday when asked if Jackson would be available to practice during the week and play on Sunday. “Right now, with where we’re at, we’re really not commenting on those things today. We’ll comment on them later in the week a little bit more.”
Cooper Rush, the longtime Dallas Cowboys backup whom the Ravens signed this past offseason, took over the offense late in the third quarter with the Chiefs leading 30-13. Given the lopsided nature of the score, there’s a chance Jackson may have been pulled from the game in the fourth quarter, but Harbaugh made it clear that the score did not factor into Jackson’s availability.
“There was no way he was going to go back in the game,” Harbaugh said. “The injury precluded it. During the game, you’re playing the next series, as a coach, but there was no way he could go back in the game. The way I know Lamar, if he could have gone in the game, he would have been in the game. That’s how he is. But I can assure you that he would not have been able to go back in the game, under any circumstance.”
If Jackson is forced to miss time, Rush would be the next man up for Baltimore. Harbaugh expressed confidence that the team would be able to rally if the situation did come to that.
“You’ve seen (Rush) play,” Harbaugh said. “Everybody kind of knows what his game is, and he can play that game, and that game is part of what we do. If he’s out there, it’ll be geared towards him. We’ve got a good group around him. We’ve got a lot of playmakers around him, if he’s playing. Same thing for Tyler Huntley, if he’s playing. We’ve got guys around him, too.”
While Jackson is the biggest name in the injury news for the Ravens, he’s far from alone. Linebacker Roquan Smith left the game with a hamstring injury, and cornerback Marlon Humphrey exited with a calf injury. According to NFL Network, both players are expected to miss multiple weeks. Left tackle Ronnie Stanley also left Sunday’s game with an ankle injury, and cornerback Nate Wiggins suffered an elbow injury.
The Ravens went into Sunday’s tilt without Patrick Ricard (calf), nose tackle Travis Jones (knee) and outside linebacker Kyle Van Noy (hamstring). On Saturday, they placed starting defensive linemen Nnamdi Madubuike (neck) and Broderick Washington (ankle) on injured reserve. On Monday, Harbaugh ruled Madubuike out for the season.
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