Lamar Jackson addresses not playing through injury at end of season

Aug 11, 2022; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) walks on the sidelines during the first half Tennessee Titans at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

Lamar Jackson missed the last five games of the regular season in 2022 and sat out the Baltimore Ravens’ playoff matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals, but he insists the decision had nothing to do with his contract situation.

Jackson took to Twitter on Tuesday to respond to those who think he milked his knee injury last season. The former MVP sarcastically questioned why he played the first 12 games of the season if he was concerned about his contract. Jackson also said he did not want to put his teammates in a “bad situation” by trying to play through his knee ailment.

Let’s get real. I rather have a 100% PCL than go out there and play
horrible forcing myself to put my guys in a bad situation now that’s selfish to me.

— Lamar Jackson (@Lj_era8) March 29, 2023

“I don’t remember me sitting out on my guys week 1 vs jets To week 12 vs Broncos. How come all of a sudden I sit out because of money in which I could’ve got hurt at anytime within that time frame. When we know the Super Bowl been on my mind since April 2018,” Jackson wrote. “Let’s get real. I rather have a 100% PCL than go out there and play horrible forcing myself to put my guys in a bad situation now that’s selfish to me.”

Jackson suffered a sprained PCL in Week 12 and was initially expected to miss a week or two. He instead sat out the remainder of the season and did not play in the opening round of the playoffs.

Fans are always quick to criticize players, but Jackson even faced backlash from some of his own teammates. He then raised more questions about his commitment to the team with a surprising travel decision during the postseason.

Jackson is reportedly seeking a fully guaranteed contract. His injury history is one of several reasons teams do not want to give it to him. If he could have played through the PCL sprain and didn’t, that is a big concern. If he was simply a slow healer, that could also be viewed as an issue for teams.