The Baltimore Ravens have multiple major issues going into their Week 17 game against the Green Bay Packers.
The first issue is that the Ravens are one loss away or one Pittsburgh Steelers win away from being eliminated from AFC North contention, which is their only avenue to make the postseason at this point.
The next issue is that quarterback Lamar Jackson is dealing with a back injury that forced his early exit from the contest and leaves his status up in the air for the Saturday game against Green Bay.
Here's what we know about Jackson's injury and his chances of suiting up in Week 17.
Lamar Jackson injury diagnosis
According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, Jackson is dealing with a bruise in his back and is considered day to day.
"Ravens QB Lamar Jackson is day-to-day with a back bruise, one that ended his night early against the Patriots," Rapoport reported.
Will Lamar Jackson play in Week 17?
While it's still too early to know, the fact that Jackson is only considered day to day gives him better chance to play than not.
One thing that stinks for Jackson is the fact that the Ravens have a short week because of the Week 17 game being on Saturday following a Sunday game.
When asked about his status for the crucial game against the Packers, Jackson said the plan is to play, but he did not confirm for sure that he would, nor did Ravens head coach John Harbaugh.
"Yeah, that's the goal," Jackson said, per ESPN's Jamison Hensley. "We're going to do a little [MRI] scan [Monday] and then see what it shows."
"I don't know how serious it'll be," Harbaugh said of Jackson's injury. "We'll have to find out over the next couple of days."
Jackson also expressed frustration with the fact that he got kneed in the back while giving up on a play.
"I gave myself up, and I got kneed in the back," Jackson said. "I can't finish the game with my guys. It's BS."
The next update on Jackson will likely come on Tuesday, when Baltimore releases its first injury report of the week.
However, Jackson has routinely sat out on the first day of practice this season, so expect him to be a non-participant no matter what.
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