Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson will have surgery on his injured right thumb and be placed on injured reserve, coach Jesse Minter said following a 36-10 loss at the Buffalo Bills. Minter did not provide details about whether Jackson’s thumb was dislocated or broken.
Asked whether the injury could end Jackson’s season, Minter said, “Potentially, but we’ll see where it’s at.” Jackson had returned Sunday after missing the previous three games with a high left ankle sprain.
Jackson injured his thumb on his first snap while attempting a pass. Bills outside linebacker Greg Rousseau was trying to knock down the throw when his hand struck Jackson’s right hand.
Jackson left the field with his thumb misshapen and battered, then was ruled out for the remainder of the game. Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton said, “Obviously, it sucks the way this game is kind of cruel like that.”
The injury added to Baltimore’s problems at quarterback ahead of Thursday night’s game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Ravens are unsure who will start that game.
Backup quarterback Tyler Huntley exited during the second quarter with a right toe injury and did not return. Minter said he was uncertain about Huntley’s status.
A source told ESPN’s Adam Schefter that Huntley sustained what is thought to be a turf toe injury. Huntley is expected to have an MRI on Monday to determine how much time, if any, he could miss, according to the source.
Joe Fagnano, Baltimore’s No. 3 quarterback, completed 10-of-21 passes for 91 yards and one interception after entering the game. The undrafted rookie from Connecticut later fell to the ground holding his left knee after Bills defensive tackle Ed Oliver drove his shoulder into it.
Oliver was penalized for roughing the passer. When asked whether he would be ready to play Thursday, Fagnano said, “Yeah, I think so.”
Minter said the Ravens would determine by Monday whether they need to add another quarterback. Jackson’s move to injured reserve means he definitely will miss four games.
Those games are at home against the Jaguars (5-2) and Los Angeles Chargers (0-6), followed by road games against the Carolina Panthers (3-4) and Houston Texans (2-5). Baltimore is 4-4 after losing three consecutive games and falling into last place in the AFC North, two games behind the first place Pittsburgh Steelers.
The Ravens entered the season with the second shortest odds to win the Super Bowl. Their record without Jackson has also been underwhelming, with Baltimore going 7-14 (.333) since 2019 in games he has not started while averaging 17.6 points.
This season, the Ravens have scored six touchdowns in 18 quarters without Jackson. Baltimore finished Sunday’s game with 68 net passing yards, its fewest in nine years.
The early quarterback injuries produced a situation that had not occurred in nine years. The 2017 Dallas Cowboys were the last team to have three quarterbacks attempt a pass during the first half.
At halftime, Ravens players entered the locker room and saw Jackson wearing a brace on his right hand while Huntley had his right foot in a bucket of ice. Fagnano described how hard Jackson had worked to return from his ankle injury.
“I had first-hand witness of him coming in the training room every day, fighting to get back for this team and then one play that happens,” Fagnano said. “But this is the NFL and crazy things happen.”
Ravens right tackle Roger Rosengarten was distraught because he had been blocking Rousseau on the play that injured Jackson. “I got to get more space away from Lamar, especially on the first one,” Rosengarten said. “So that one’s definitely eating at me … it all falls on my shoulders.”
Minter said the Ravens would focus on staying together and supporting whoever plays. “We’ll do everything in our power to keep rolling, to keep this thing going, to get it back on the right side with whatever that looks like and whoever that’s playing,” he said.
Jackson did not reach a contract extension with Baltimore this offseason and is set to enter the final year of his contract in 2027 with an $84.34 million cap hit. The Ravens need to reduce that figure to build next season’s roster.
Baltimore has maintained optimism about reaching an extension with Jackson. If the sides do not reach a new agreement before the upcoming offseason, the Ravens could look to trade him, but Jackson has no-trade and no-tag clauses and would have to approve any deal.