Ravens Told to Hold Lamar Jackson Out as Injury Concerns Continue

The Baltimore Ravens defeated the Atlanta Falcons in overtime last weekend without Lamar Jackson. Backup Tyler Huntley took over and looked more than capable of leading the offense, finishing 24 of 32 for 201 yards and two touchdowns with zero interceptions, along with 20 rushing yards and a rushing score.

Jackson remains questionable for Sunday's matchup against the Browns due to the ankle injury, missing the first two days of practice this week. Now ESPN's Stephen A. Smith is urging the Ravens to make the decision to hold Jackson out and let the injury fully heal.

"I think when I look at Lamar Jackson, I think he should sit out. I don't think he should play," Smith said. "Get him 100%. Get him close to 100% and get him out on the field so he can do what he does in the meat of the season. I don't want him being put out there prematurely as if it's desperate times. The Baltimore Ravens are 4-1 on the season right now. They are in first place in the AFC North. There is an absence of urgency ... You can afford to lose a game if it comes to that. I'm not saying you're going to do it on purpose, but the priority is Lamar Jackson being healthy."

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Through the first four games of the season, Jackson completed 70.8% of his passes for 967 yards and six touchdowns with one interception, along with 144 rushing yards and one rushing touchdown. He was on pace to finish with MVP-caliber numbers again, and as good as Huntley is, he can't replicate that.

However, Cleveland is a beatable opponent, and Baltimore is already listed as 3.5-point favorites with Jackson projected to miss the game. The Browns are 3-2 and a win over the Ravens would put them atop the division, even if only for the time being. But Huntley's also 3-0 as the starter over his last two seasons in Baltimore.

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Even if the Ravens were to lose Sunday in Cleveland, their season is far from over and nobody would question them as still being one of the best teams in the AFC. Plus, they'll get another crack at the Browns later in the season, with Jackson fully healthy.

After Cleveland on Sunday, the Ravens will host the Bengals before matchups against the Bills, Jaguars, and Chargers. Baltimore hasn't even reached the most difficult part of their schedule, and rushing Jackson back prematurely could do more harm than good, especially with Huntley coming off a big primetime win of his own.