Lamar Jackson Thumb Injury: Surgery, IR, Season in Doubt

Lamar Jackson's comeback lasted one play. The two-time MVP returned from a three-game absence on Sunday in Orchard Park, threw on Baltimore's first offensive snap, and walked off holding his right hand. A few hours later the news got worse: the Lamar Jackson thumb injury needs surgery, and he's going on injured reserve.

"That'll be a surgery deal. He'll go to (injured reserve)," Ravens coach Jesse Minter said after the 36-10 loss to the Bills, according to AP News. "That's a tough deal."

How Jackson hurt his thumb

The play itself looked routine. Jackson dropped back looking for Zay Flowers, and as he released the ball his throwing hand smacked into Bills edge rusher Greg Rousseau, who was trying to knock the pass down, ESPN reported.

Jackson looked down at the thumb right away and headed to the sideline. The CBS broadcast later showed him going into the tunnel with the hand wrapped, held by a trainer, NFL.com noted. He didn't return.

Lamar Jackson injury update: surgery and IR

Here's what the Ravens have said so far:

• Surgery: Yes, on the right thumb. No date or surgeon has been announced.
• Injured reserve: Yes. Under NFL rules, that means at least four missed games.
• Season-ending? Undecided. Asked directly, Minter said, "We'll see," per NFL.com, citing ESPN.

That last answer is the one Ravens fans will hang on this week. A thumb on the throwing hand is a tough injury for any quarterback, and the team hasn't described the specific damage. Until it does, any return date floating around online is a guess.

The four-game minimum starts with Thursday's game against Jacksonville, so the earliest Jackson could be back is the Ravens' fifth game from now, and only if the surgery and rehab go smoothly. Quarterbacks coming off surgery on the throwing hand also need time to grip and spin the ball comfortably again, which is why the team isn't promising anything.

Back from an ankle sprain, then this

The timing stings. Jackson had just missed three games with a high left ankle sprain, and ESPN's Jamison Hensley wrote Sunday that 2026 is turning into the most injury-filled season of his nine-year career.

Hensley's numbers push back on the idea that Jackson is always hurt, though. Before Sunday he'd missed 17 games to injury since 2019, not counting COVID or illness. Kyler Murray (31), Dak Prescott (26), Daniel Jones (25) and Joe Burrow (22) have all missed more over the same stretch.

What does hold up is how much the Ravens depend on him. In the three seasons in which Jackson missed at least four games, Baltimore failed to make the playoffs twice, in 2021 and 2025, according to ESPN. He'd also opened this season looking like an MVP candidate, ranking third in QBR (82.7) through his first four games.

The Ravens' quarterback problem got worse

Losing Jackson would have been enough. Then the backup went down too.

Tyler Huntley, who started the three games Jackson missed, came in and lasted less than a half. He hurt his toe when Buffalo's Ed Oliver spun him down, USA Today reported, on a sack that also cost Baltimore a fumble, and he was ruled out after halftime. He finished 2 of 4 for zero yards.

That pushed Joe Fagnano, an undrafted rookie out of UConn, into his first regular-season action. He went 10 of 21 for 91 yards with an interception as the Bills pulled away. Running back Justice Hill was listed as the emergency option behind him, per USA Today, and the Ravens' own site covered Fagnano taking over.

So who starts next? If Huntley's toe allows it, he's the obvious pick. If it doesn't, Fagnano is the only other quarterback on the roster who knows the system. Don't be surprised if Baltimore adds a veteran this week; with a Thursday game, there's almost no time to get one ready.

How the game got away

Without Jackson, the Ravens hung around longer than the final score suggests. Tyler Loop's 26-yard field goal to open the second half cut Buffalo's lead to 16-10, according to the AP game story. Then the Bills scored touchdowns on three of their next four drives.

Josh Allen threw for 289 yards and two touchdowns, ran one in, and passed Jim Kelly for the most touchdown passes in Bills history on an 11-yard throw to DJ Moore. Buffalo's defense, heavily criticized coming in, forced three Ravens turnovers, sacked Baltimore four times and held the Ravens to 144 total yards. The Bills moved to 6-1. Baltimore has now lost three straight.

What's next for Baltimore

The loss dropped the Ravens to 4-4, and the schedule doesn't give them a breather. They play the Jacksonville Jaguars on Thursday Night Football on Nov. 5, with four days to sort out who takes the snaps.

For fantasy players, Jackson is a drop-or-stash call that depends on your bench depth, and Ravens pass catchers like Flowers just lost their biggest weapon. For Baltimore, the bigger question is whether a team that's .500 can stay in the AFC race long enough for Jackson to get back, if he gets back this season at all.

We broke down another painful AFC night for a star quarterback in our look at what went wrong for Patrick Mahomes against Seattle. Jackson's situation is more serious: the next update that matters is the surgery report, and Minter's "we'll see" leaves the season wide open.