The hip injury that Joe Flacco has been dealing with in recent weeks is not one that is expected to keep him out long-term, but rookie Lamar Jackson’s performance could.
Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports reported on Sunday that Flacco is expected to resume practicing on Tuesday after resting his injured hip for two weeks. However, the veteran is apparently not a lock to get his starting job back if Jackson plays well on Sunday.
“At this point (Flacco is unclear) of the starting status moving forward,” La Canfora wrote on Twitter. “(If) the Ravens beat the Raiders today, Lamar Jackson has a strong shot (to) keep the job.”
If that’s the case, Flacco may be in legitimate danger of being benched. Jackson provided a spark in a 24-21 win over the Cincinnati Bengals last week, particularly by rushing for 117 yards on 27 attempts. The yards were the most by a quarterback in Ravens franchise history, and the attempts were the most by a quarterback in the Super Bowl era. There’s no reason to think Jackson can’t repeat that against the Raiders, who are one of the worst teams in football.
Jackson hinted this week that he has a slightly different plan for Week 12, but he has a great opportunity to keep the starting job going forward. The Ravens are still very much in the playoff hunt at 5-5, and John Harbaugh may ride the hot hand with his job reportedly in jeopardy.
