Ravens Officially Reveal Lamar Jackson's Status for Steelers Game

Week 18 is a make-or-break one for the Baltimore Ravens, as they face potential elimination with a loss, and they finally know whether their star quarterback, Lamar Jackson, will play against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Jackson had missed the Ravens' impressive 41-24 Week 17 win over the Green Bay Packers with Tyler Huntley filling in at quarterback. Baltimore did not have their quarterback practice all of last week due to the back injury.

The great news is that it will no longer be the case as Jackson is officially back for Week 18 after the latest injury report. Jackson has been practicing all week for the Ravens, the first time he has done that since Week 10 against the Minnesota Vikings.

Game status at Steelers pic.twitter.com/MZkcwYBY0f
— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) January 2, 2026

Lamar Jackson is back when the Ravens need him the most

The roller coaster ride that has been Jackson's 2025 season seems to finally have a soft landing after the chaos of the injuries he had faced. He missed time this season due to a hamstring injury, but has also dealt with illnesses and other lower-body injuries throughout the year.

Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson | Mitch Stringer-Imagn Images

Statistically, there is much left to be desired from Jackson as his accuracy has been put into question. In 12 games, Jackson has completed 63.7% of his passes for 2,311 yards and 18 touchdowns and six interceptions, adding another 340 rushing yards and two scores.

Baltimore is going to lean heavily on their star quarterback to help bring balance back to the offense after sticking with the running game against the Packers. Derrick Henry ran the ball 36 times for over 200 yards and four touchdowns in the contest.

While the Steelers are not the strongest team against the run, the Ravens will not be able to get Henry to replicate those numbers again. Having Jackson back now gives them the passing game again, and it looks different with him in the lineup versus Huntley.

Watch for the Ravens to be more aggressive with their pass plays and let Jackson bomb the ball down the field. He showed in the Week 16 loss against the New England Patriots that he was right there in getting back into form after completing seven of 10 passes before getting knocked out with a back injury.

This is it for the Ravens, as they must win to get into the playoffs, or they'll otherwise be taking a rare trip to the couch for the postseason. The question is whether Jackson can get back to being in MVP form in time to save Baltimore's season.

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