Pundit Says Ravens Should Draft a Quarterback Behind Lamar Jackson
With Lamar Jackson having suffered a variety of injuries this season, Sports Illustrated’s Conor Orr said the Ravens need to take a big-picture view of their quarterback situation.
Orr contended that they should draft a quarterback to back up Jackson and give the organization some flexibility.
"No one is saying that Jackson needs to go, but the sensible among us are saying that Jackson needs a safety net that can one day grow into his replacement on a structured rookie contract," Orr wrote.
Orr believes the 2026 draft is the right time to do it.
"Baltimore would have the 14th pick based on current standings, in a quarterback class that serves as the preamble to a much more anticipated 2027 group, which could mean a shorter line between the Ravens and a promising option at the position," Orr wrote. "If Jackson is healthy next season, the Ravens are going to almost certainly be boxed out from taking a top-tier quarterback in the following draft."
Jackson, who turns 29 in two weeks, missed three games this season with a hamstring injury. He also missed at least one practice over the past seven weeks, in part because of knee, ankle, and toe injuries.
Jackson suffered a painful back contusion in Sunday's loss to the New England Patriots and was not able to participate in Tuesday’s walk-through practice ahead of this Saturday night's must-win game against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field.
Injuries limited Jackson to 12 games in both 2021 and 2022, but he did not miss a single game due to injury in 2023 or 2024.
"If you remove illness and rest with a playoff spot already clinched, Jackson has appeared on an NFL injury report 17 times," Orr wrote. "Jackson also has only about 800 fewer carries than Saquon Barkley, who was drafted the same year (1,077 to 1,807). Many of those are kneeldowns in victory formation, but you can add in that Jackson has been sacked 225 times in his career and hit in the pocket 178 times. I have zero —zero —doubt that Jackson's arm talent can help him translate seamlessly into a different phase of his career once his outlier athleticism winnows to the point where it is no longer an advantage. But Baltimore does not know what that looks like yet.
"When taking all of this into consideration, adding in that Jackson's mega-extension will again need to be reworked, the solution seems abundantly clear to me: The Ravens do not need to trade Jackson. They don't need to fire John Harbaugh. But they do need to make 2026 their 'Jordan Love' year and draft a worthy successor to Jackson, which would buttress the Ravens against the kind of collapse we saw this season, give the team a position of strength at the negotiating table and facilitate a situation like Green Bay enjoyed with late-Packer Aaron Rodgers, who won back-to-back MVP awards, in part, after submitting to an offense that more effectively balanced his skill set with a sensible run game."
Why the Ravens Can Bounce Back Next Season
ESPN’s Ben Solak identified the factors that have contributed to the Ravens being 7-8 and on the brink of elimination from the playoffs. Injuries, an inconsistent offensive line, and a lack of pass rush were among them.
There's no denying it's been a disappointing and frustrating season, but Solak believes the Ravens can bounce back in 2026. He based his opinion in part on what he saw from the Ravens on both sides of the ball in the Patriots game.
"If defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike can come back healthy next season, the Ravens have most of their defensive core intact and under contract – they just need an edge rusher (or two, or three)," Solak wrote. "So there's reason to expect the defense to continue excelling next season and for the offense to immediately elevate when Jackson returns to health. You could see that through the cracks in the first half against the Patriots. The defense got stops against one of the league's best offenses.
"Jackson looked spry, and the passing game finally looked explosive again. Running back Derrick Henry had one of his best games of the season, posting a 66.7% success rate on the ground and the fastest average speed (13.81 mph) on rushes in a game this season, per NFL Next Gen Stats. Had the Ravens finished the job, it would have been a statement win for a team clawing its way back into postseason relevance. Instead, Jackson went down with another injury. Tyler Huntley stepped in admirably, but with Henry sidelined (rather peculiarly) for a potential game-salting drive, the Ravens surrendered their 11-point lead and added another notch on the battered post of games they should have won but oddly lost.
"Had Jackson been healthy, it likely would have ended differently. True of the game Sunday night. True of the season, too."
Zay Flowers' Second Pro Bowl Nod Significantly Increases His Fifth-Year Option Salary
After becoming the Ravens' first Pro Bowl wide receiver last year, Zay Flowers received his second nod this season.
By making the Pro Bowl again, Flowers' fifth-year option salary rose from $24.4 million to $28 million, per Spotrac.
The Baltimore Banner’s Jonas Shaffer looked at what the development could mean for Flowers' future with the organization.
"Only 12 wide receivers have deals worth more than $28 million annually, but the market at the position moves quickly," Shaffer wrote. "In two years, $28 million for a player of Flowers' caliber could be seen as a bargain. … Even if the Ravens don't pick up Flowers' fifth-year option — teams have a May 1 deadline to decide on their 2023 first-round picks — they could still have a future together. Flowers will be eligible for an extension this offseason.
"The Ravens didn't wait long to secure Kyle Hamilton's future last August, making him the NFL's highest-paid safety after just three seasons in Baltimore. Flowers isn't quite the transcendent talent that Hamilton is. But he ranked 14th among all receivers with at least 80 targets last season in yards per route run (2.3), according to Pro Football Focus, and he ranks seventh this year (2.4), ahead of stars like the Cincinnati Bengals' Ja'Marr Chase and Houston Texans' Nico Collins."
Ronnie Stanley Named One of Biggest Pro Bowl Snubs
The Ravens had six Pro Bowlers, tied with the Denver Broncos, Seattle Seahawks, and San Francisco 49ers for the most in the league. Baltimore also had three alternates.
One player who didn't make it but probably should have is left tackle Ronnie Stanley. ESPN’s Seth Walder named Stanley one of the biggest Pro Bowl snubs.
Walder made the case for Stanley getting the nod over the Los Angeles Chargers' Joe Alt, who made the roster as the third offensive tackle.
"Don't get me wrong, I love Joe Alt," Walder wrote. "He was on pace to be Protector of the Year if he had stayed healthy. But he played only six games, which is in no way enough to make a Pro Bowl. I'd be open to multiple tackles at this spot, but Stanley ranks fifth in pass block win rate and 13th in run block win rate. Metrics-wise, he looks like the most deserving next man up in the AFC after Dion Dawkins and Garett Bolles."
