Just four weeks into the season, the Baltimore Ravens’ promising campaign has hit turbulence. Quarterback Lamar Jackson exited Sunday’s 37–20 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs with a hamstring injury, intensifying concerns for a team that now sits at 1–3, its worst start in a decade.
Jackson went down midway through the third quarter after being sacked by Chiefs defensive end George Karlaftis. He remained on the sideline for the rest of the game, occasionally stretching his right leg but never reentering.
Baltimore head coach John Harbaugh said afterward that he did not yet know the severity of the injury. “There’s nothing that looks like it’s season-ending by any stretch for anybody,” Harbaugh said. Still, his cautious tone did little to ease the anxiety hanging over Baltimore’s locker room.
Asked if Jackson could have returned had the game been closer, Harbaugh admitted: “I really don’t have the answer to that right now.” Jackson, a two-time league MVP and the centerpiece of the Ravens’ offense, was not made available to reporters. His absence looms large ahead of a critical Week 5 matchup against the Houston Texans. If Jackson is sidelined, Cooper Rush is expected to make his first start for the Ravens.
Before the injury, Jackson endured his roughest performance of the year. He committed two turnovers after opening the season without one: an interception and a fumble following a collision with center Tyler Linderbaum. According to ESPN Research, Jackson was pressured on 56% of his dropbacks — the highest rate he has ever faced in a game with at least 10 passing attempts. He finished 14-of-20 for 147 yards, one touchdown, and one interception, adding 48 yards rushing.
Jackson’s durability had been a stabilizing force for Baltimore in recent years. Now, with a new injury casting doubt, the team confronted fresh worries. He had not missed a game since a knee injury forced him out of the final five contests of the 2022 regular season. Safety Kyle Hamilton reflected the team’s unease when he said, “Praying for Lamar. I don’t know how serious it is, but we’ll see.”
The quarterback’s injury was only the most visible among a rash of setbacks on Sunday. Middle linebacker Roquan Smith (hamstring), cornerbacks Marlon Humphrey (calf) and Nate Wiggins (elbow), and offensive tackle Ronnie Stanley (ankle) all left the game and did not return.
The Ravens’ defensive line was already threadbare, with defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike (neck) and defensive end Broderick Washington (ankle) both placed on injured reserve the day before. Outside linebacker Kyle Van Noy (hamstring) and nose tackle Travis Jones (knee) were inactive against Kansas City.
Running back Justice Hill voiced what many in the locker room felt. “Obviously, it sucks,” he said of the injury wave. “Hopefully, they return quickly.”
Meanwhile, Baltimore’s troubles are not limited to injuries. The Ravens’ defense, once the franchise’s defining strength, is allowing a league-worst 33.3 points per game. That futility has come against elite competition, but it underscores the precarious balance between high expectations and harsh reality.
Harbaugh acknowledged both the difficulty and the opportunity. “The three losses are against probably three of the top teams in the league, for sure,” he said, pointing to defeats by the Buffalo Bills, Detroit Lions, and Chiefs. “That’s just the hand we’ve been dealt, but it doesn’t really matter. We’ve got to win the next game. Then, once you win the next game, you have a chance to start stacking some wins. That’s what we’ve got to do big-picture-wise.”
For Baltimore, history offers a warning. The Ravens have started 1–3 only twice before, in 2005 and 2015, missing the postseason in both campaigns. This year’s roster was built with championship aspirations, but with Jackson’s health uncertain and the defense depleted, Baltimore faces a familiar dilemma: whether it can endure early adversity or be defined by it.
The next few weeks may determine the season’s trajectory. If Jackson is sidelined, the offense will need to adapt quickly behind Rush. And for the defense, replacement players must prove ready for a spotlight they didn’t expect this early.
Injuries are part of the NFL’s unforgiving reality. For the Ravens, the question now is whether they can turn survival mode into a resurgence — or whether the toll already taken will leave them scrambling to salvage what once looked like a championship run.
