Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson suffered a possibly season-ending right thumb injury during a Week 8 blowout loss to the Buffalo Bills. With Jackson now likely sidelined for the season, veteran Ravens wideout Zay Flowers gave a non-committal answer regarding his quarterback’s future. Asked postgame if Jackson would return as Baltimore’s QB next year, instead of backing his passer, Flowers stated, “I would like to, but that’s not really nothing I can comment on. That’s nothing I can really control in my situation.”
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That hesitation prompted former Super Bowl champion safety T.J. Ward to call for a mutual separation during his appearance on the Speakeasy Podcast. Speaking to co-host and ex-NFL player Emmanuel Acho, Ward reacted directly to Flowers’ hesitant answer by suggesting that perhaps it was time for Lamar Jackson to “find a new home.”
“I think that the issue with this, like you’re (Acho) saying, it’s not a definite yes. He (Flowers) has no idea. He answered the question how he should have had the answer. But the problem is that he has no idea. Right, you said, you know, him mentioning, you know, he’s a vet, and maybe the position coach is saying that Lamar won’t be back. I don’t think none of them know what’s going to happen. But in the example of Josh Allen, in the example of Joe Burrow, in the example of a Pat Mahomes, it should be automatic. ‘Yes, we’ll see him next year if he’s not healthy this year.’ It’s an automatic. But it being a mystery almost says no.
“And I don’t think it’s such a bad thing, honestly. On pregame, I said, you know, this may be his last stint. I think I said earlier in the season that I think they should just part ways. I think it’s time. I think it’s time for Lamar to find a new home, and I think it’s time for the Baltimore Ravens to find another quarterback. And I think they may both be better off, but more Lamar than the Ravens, if you ask me. I think Lamar just needs another- a new scenery,” T.J. Ward explained.
The conversation on Speakeasy follows Baltimore’s 36-10 loss to the Bills at Highmark Stadium. Jackson had just returned from a 3-game absence due to a left ankle sprain. On Baltimore’s opening snap, his throwing hand struck Bills pass-rusher Greg Rousseau’s arm. Head coach Jesse Minter confirmed Jackson requires thumb surgery, likely ending his regular season on Injured Reserve.
Baltimore’s QB crisis deepened when backup Tyler Huntley exited during the 2nd quarter with turf toe. That forced undrafted rookie Joe Fagnano under center for the remainder of the blowout defeat. Without Jackson directing the offense, the Ravens looked completely stalled, managing only 10 points in a performance that spoke of how much they relied on their star QB.
Earlier in that same conversation, Emmanuel Acho noted what the situation might look like from Zay Flowers’ perspective: “You’re only saying that, Ward, if you (Flowers) know there’s a possibility he (Lamar) might not be back next year.”
Ward went on to justify his explanation by adding that, whatever the case may be, other teams might be saying to themselves, “Hey, we can put more around Lamar. We can protect Lamar more.”
Acho also highlighted an unforgiving historical trend in the NFL during the discussion. He pointed out that QBs who fail to reach a Super Bowl within 9 seasons with their drafting team rarely ever break through. Matt Ryan remains the modern exception. While Jackson is a 2-time MVP, his recurring injuries and career playoff passer rating of 84.6 (only 13th among active QBs) coupled with his dismal 3-5 postseason record, magnify those long-term historical doubts as his 9th season has now possibly ended prematurely.
However, as co-host Kieran Hickey outlined, parting ways seems like a herculean task from a financial standpoint. Trading Jackson before next season would trigger a staggering $74.8 million dead cap charge for Baltimore. On top of the financial hit, Jackson’s 5-year contract features an ironclad no-trade clause, giving the star QB complete control over any potential destination.
The uncertainty surrounding Jackson also impacts Baltimore’s surrounding core, especially Flowers. The dynamic wideout secured a lucrative four-year, $140 million extension after averaging 15.2 yards per reception and 8.0 yards after the catch per reception. Yet, once Jackson left against Buffalo, Flowers went catchless on five off-target targets, illustrating how backup quarterback play directly stalls his production.
This leaves Ravens GM Eric DeCosta with an interesting conundrum. Challenging for the Super Bowl without a healthy Lamar Jackson seems very unlikely for this Ravens team. Yet relying on him consistently exposes the team to immense injury risk. On the other side of the coin, parting ways involves immense financial hurdles. So it will be interesting to see how the Lamar Jackson and Ravens story develops in the future.