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Lamar Jackson's 2021 season has been punctuated by illness and injury. The former punctuated the first half of his season while the latter has been the story of the second half. What happened to Lamar Jackson? Will the quarterback start in Week 18? Here are the answers to those questions and more.
Why is Lamar Jackson hurt?
Jackson suffered an ankle injury in Week 14, during the game against the Cleveland Browns. Since the injury, Jackson has been unable to get back on the field. The injury, however, has felt like one that has been on the edge of mending since it happened.
It has seemed that Jackson was just about to get back on the field, and then he would miss practice. At this point, Jackson's injury could be more severe than it seems.
Will Lamar Jackson start in Week 18?
Of course, the biggest question is whether the star quarterback will suit up for the season finale. According to Ari Meirov, the Ravens have announced that Tyler Huntley will start on Sunday against the Steelers. Jackson is still fighting the ankle injury and, based on how the Ravens have fallen out of the playoff picture, the injury ended Jackson's season in Week 14.
Ravens fans are undoubtedly disappointed with how the season has turned out. After starting 6-1, the Ravens are now 8-8 and fighting to stay above .500. The back half of the season has been a nightmare for the team with injuries to Lamar Jackson and a series of questionable decisions by head coach John Harbaugh.
Several questionable decisions have been the choice to aggressively go for two-point conversions late in games while failing said conversion attempt. With the Ravens now 8-8 and clearly out of the playoff picture, the Ravens need to win to save a winning season in what has turned out to be the worst season of Jackson's career.
After the first two months, it seemed to be shaping up as the brightest of his career after upsetting the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 2. Instead, after Week 6, it was all downhill from there. Jackson finishes his 2021 campaign with 16 touchdowns, 13 interceptions and 2882 passing yards. He also rushed for 767 yards and two touchdowns.
The down season also comes at the worst time for Jackson, who was positioning for a new contract that was expected to place him with the top salary in the game. Instead, the Ravens could now be thinking twice about how much they wish to pay the quarterback.
