The Baltimore Ravens’ season is teetering after a 33-10 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 9 left the Ravens at 4-5, and they are without their two primary quarterbacks.
Lamar Jackson suffered a fractured and dislocated right thumb the week prior that required surgery and landed him on injured reserve, while Tyler Huntley was ruled out for the year with a toe injury.
The team turned first to Joe Fagnano and then traded for veteran Jacoby Brissett, who is expected to start the remainder of the season.
Within a day of the injury, however, Jackson delivered a clear message to his teammates: keep the season alive.
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported that the two-time MVP told teammates he intends to return later this year, as Jackson told his squad to “just stay alive,” a stance that sources described as energizing and exciting.
Before those words circulated, many in the locker room had assumed Jackson’s campaign was finished.
The typical recovery window for this type of thumb injury runs six to nine weeks. If Jackson’s rehab progresses as hoped, he could be available by early January—provided Baltimore remains in playoff contention.
The Ravens enter an 11-day break before Monday Night Football against the Los Angeles Chargers and also hold their bye in Week 13, giving the club a manageable stretch of the calendar while Brissett holds the fort.
Through the first half of the season Jackson had completed 70.1 percent of his passes for 967 yards, six touchdowns, and one interception while adding 144 rushing yards and a score.
Those numbers underscore both his production and the void left by his absence.
Brissett, a proven starter across multiple organizations, offers a steady bridge.
The hope inside the building is that a winning stretch can keep the postseason within reach until the franchise quarterback is ready.
Jackson’s quick declaration has shifted the tone around a team that looked adrift after the Jacksonville defeat.
The Ravens now know their two-time MVP is fighting to rejoin them, and the simple directive he left behind—“just stay alive”—has become both a rallying cry and a measurable goal for the weeks ahead.
