Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson needs surgery on his injured thumb and could miss the remainder of the season, coach Jesse Minter said. Jackson injured his right throwing hand on Baltimore's opening offensive play against the Buffalo Bills on Sunday in Orchard Park, New York.
The injury came in Jackson's first start since an ankle problem sidelined him for three games. His return lasted only one snap before he left the field, putting the Ravens back in the hands of backup Tyler Huntley. Baltimore initially said Jackson was questionable to return, then ruled him out before the first quarter was over.
Jackson was dropping back to throw to Zay Flowers when his right hand hit the arm of Buffalo pass rusher Greg Rousseau. The contact prevented him from completing his follow-through, and the pass bounced. Jackson immediately started walking off the field and appeared to indicate that his thumb was hurt.
Before reaching the sideline, Jackson took a knee. He was then escorted up the tunnel while Huntley entered the game. Minter's statement that surgery would be necessary raised the possibility that the quarterback's latest injury could keep him out for the rest of the season.
Baltimore's quarterback problems continued early in the second quarter when Huntley injured his toe. He appeared to be hurt on a third-and-8 play from the Ravens' 40-yard line, when Bills safety Cole Bishop sacked him and forced a fumble. Huntley was initially considered questionable to return before Baltimore ruled him out at the start of the third quarter.
With Jackson and Huntley unavailable, rookie Joe Fagnano took over on the series following Huntley's injury. The third-string quarterback, an undrafted player from Connecticut serving as Baltimore's emergency backup, made his NFL debut and completed his first two passes for a combined 28 yards.
The Ravens entered the game with a 4-3 record after going 1-2 during Jackson's three-game absence. Their offense had struggled with Huntley playing in his place, producing substantially less than it had during the first three games with Jackson.
Across the previous three games, Baltimore scored 63 fewer points and averaged 3 fewer yards per play than it had in those first three games under Jackson. His brief return against Buffalo ended with another injury, while Huntley's subsequent exit left Fagnano handling the offense.
