The Baltimore Ravens have a massive problem with quarterback Lamar Jackson ahead of the Week 17 game against the Green Bay Packers.
Jackson suffered a back injury in the Week 16 loss to the New England Patriots that forced his early exit from the contest and led to his being on the injury report this week.
After not practicing at all during the week, Jackson drew the dreaded doubtful tag on Thursday, which is terrible news for his chances of suiting up.
Here's what we know about Jackson's status for Week 17.
Is Lamar Jackson playing today?
No, Jackson is not expected to play on Saturday against the Packers.
Players rarely play through the doubtful tag, so while the light is still on for the Ravens quarterback just in case, he's highly unlikely to suit up.
The last time we saw a player be active despite the doubtful tag was Las Vegas Raiders edge rusher Maxx Crosby, who played in Week 12 of the 2023 season against the Kansas City Chiefs after being listed with the designation.
We'll get final confirmation on Jackson's status an hour and a half before the 8 p.m. ET kickoff on Saturday, when the Ravens and Packers drop their lists of inactives.
Barring Jackson pulling off a rare feat, the Ravens' playoff hopes are riding on the arm of backup quarterback Tyler Huntley, who won his only start this season, which came in Week 8 against the Chicago Bears.
Huntley completed 17-of-22 passes for 186 yards and one touchdown while adding eight carries for 53 yards in the victory over the Bears. In all, Huntley is 6-9 as a starter during his career.
Upon replacing an injured Jackson last week, Huntley completed 9-of-10 passes for 65 yards in the 28-24 loss. The Ravens actually had a two-score lead in the fourth quarter of that game before a total collapse on both sides of the ball.
While Huntley is an obvious downgrade from Jackson, it's not impossible to think the Ravens can win another game with him under center.
Increasing their chances is the fact that the Packers won't have starter Jordan Love under center, as he has been ruled out for the contest. However, backup signal-caller Malik Willis is very capable of leading Green Bay to a win.
Baltimore enters this contest in a do-or-die situation.
If the Ravens lose, they will be eliminated from playoff contention, sending the team into an offseason with a ton of uncertainty. If the Ravens win, they will need the Pittsburgh Steelers to lose on Sunday to the Cleveland Browns to stay alive.
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