Ravens’ Lamar Jackson Explains What Held Him Back Last Season
Baltimore Ravens star quarterback Lamar Jackson heads into the 2026 season with plenty to prove that he remains one of the league’s best talents.
One of the key features of his unique skill set is his ability to be a game-changer with his legs, which has been a key differentiating factor. However, last season, he had a noticeable dip in his production in the running game as he ran the ball only 67 times in 13 games, which is less than half of his attempts in 2024.
Jackson attributed the drop to his injuries throughout the season.
“I believe you know … a lot of people know [that] I was hurt last year, so I really could not do anything like I wanted to,” Jackson said after Wednesday’s joint practice via ESPN.
Jackson dealt with nagging injuries that began when he hurt his right hamstring in Week 4 against the Kansas City Chiefs, leading him to miss three straight games. That was followed by him missing one practice for four straight weeks over November and December due to ankle, knee, and toe injuries.
He also didn’t play in Week 17 against the Green Bay Packers because of a back contusion.
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That said, Jackson looks to be headed toward returning to a heavier usage in the running game that helped him garner the league record for most career rushing yards for a quarterback.
He sits only 38 attempts behind Cam Newton for the most career rushing attempts by a quarterback in league history
