Adversity isn’t new to the Baltimore Ravens. It just shows up in different ways. During the Week 4 clash with the Kansas City Chiefs, QB Lamar Jackson limped off after a hamstring tweak. Now, the play-caller who’s the heart and soul of his Ravens team faces a tough stretch on the sidelines. But before everyone got caught up in injury talk, Jackson took to Instagram with a story that was anything but typical. 

Lamar’s message wasn’t just some quick motivational quote or hype video. He shared a gripping story: Satan calling a global meeting, plotting to keep people distracted. Busy with screens, routines, shopping, and constant noise. Then he added his own words: “Make sure yall Reading yall Bible 🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾 Cause all this is what the devil want everybody doing instead of worshipping God 💯💯 Yall gotta believe 🫶🏼🙏🏾🙏🏾” Instead of dwelling on the injury, Lamar dropped a message that felt both personal and like a call to action for everyone watching.

The timing? Everything. Lamar Jackson is more than just the Ravens’ QB. He’s their engine, the vibe-setter when things get rough. The injury was a punch, no doubt. But this city has rallied behind him before when he faced setbacks. That Instagram story wasn’t about checking out. It was about staying locked in, even while sidelined. And now, that mindset is about to be tested as Baltimore rolls on ahead without their MVP.

Lamar Jackson’s injury: Baltimore’s next challenge

That hamstring tweak in Week 4 was a reality check for the Ravens. They were already struggling with a 1-2 record, and with Lamar’s exit, the Ravens fell 1-3 to the Chiefs. As head coach John Harbaugh noted about his injury, “the way I know Lamar, if he could have gone in the game, he would’ve been in the game. That’s how Lamar is. I can assure you, he would not have been able to go back in the game under any circumstance.” This statement itself left his Week 5 projection up in the air, and all the while, Lamar’s stock fell from the MVP conversations sharply. But that wasn’t the end of the bad news.

According to Dr. Deepak Chona of Sports Medicine Analysis, Lamar could see a recovery timeline of 2-3 weeks, meaning he could return sometime around Week 7 or 8. Suddenly, the offense that ran through him now belongs to backup Tyler Huntley, who’s shown flashes but now has to anchor the team for the coming weeks. Baltimore’s staff is drawing up new plans on the fly. They don’t need Huntley to be a superhero; they just need him to keep them in the fight. Meanwhile, Lamar’s injury history rears its head as a bigger source of worry.

Lamar last had a major knee injury–a PCL sprain– in December 2022, causing him to miss the final 6 games of the season. The year before, he suffered an ankle sprain in Week 14 and was sidelined for the rest of the games. Once again, the loudest locker room voice won’t be in the huddle, but watching from the sidelines. Still, Lamar’s hustle continues. While he recovers, through his socials, he’s reminding everyone not to lose the plot when things get messy. He may be sidelined for now. But through his own words and actions off the field, he’s still calling the shots. For now, we wait for his return and look ahead to a Week 5 clash against the Houston Texans.