Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson faced some criticism after he exited Sunday’s game against the Kansas City Chiefs with a hamstring injury, and John Harbaugh has seemingly responded to those who questioned whether the former MVP was actually hurt.
Jackson was replaced by backup quarterback Cooper Rush late in Baltimore’s 37-20 Week 4 loss to the Chiefs at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Mo. Sideline reporter Tracy Wolfson said during the CBS broadcast that Jackson had sustained a hamstring injury and looked “extremely frustrated.”
Fans then noticed that Jackson did not seem to be receiving much attention from the Ravens’ medical staff. That led to speculation that Jackson simply did not want to go back into the game since Baltimore had virtually no chance of winning.
The Ravens were losing 30-13 at the time Jackson exited. Harbaugh was asked on Monday if Jackson would have gone back into the game had the score been closer. The head coach quickly shut the talk down.
“There was no way he was gonna go back in the game. The injury precluded it,” Harbaugh said. “During the game, you’re playing the next series as a coach, but there was no way he could go back in the game. The way I know Lamar, if he could have gone in the game, he would have been in the game. That’s how he is. I can assure you he would not have been able to go back into the game under any circumstance.”
"There was no way Lamar was going back into the game. The injury precluded it." pic.twitter.com/N7Al4op7Gp
— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) September 29, 2025
Harbaugh still did not offer much information about the severity of the injury. Reports have said Jackson has a hamstring strain. That can sometimes be a multi-week injury, and Jackson is a dual-threat quarterback. A hamstring injury would, in theory, make him less effective given his style of play.
If Jackson winds up playing against the Houston Texans in Week 5, fans will likely view that as proof that he milked his injury in the loss to the Chiefs. That does not necessarily mean it is true, of course.
