Lamar Jackson Doesn't Travel for Ravens vs. Bengals While Sitting Out with Injury

The Baltimore Ravens are playing Sunday's AFC Wild Card Game against the Cincinnati Bengals without star quarterback Lamar Jackson as he nurses a knee injury, but he's also noticeably absent from the sidelines.

Jonas Shaffer of the Baltimore Banner relayed an NBC broadcast report that Jackson didn't travel with the Ravens to Cincinnati for the game.

Jackson missed the final five games of the regular season after suffering a knee injury in Week 13. He announced on Thursday that he suffered a Grade 2 sprain of his PCL and wouldn't be able to play against the Bengals, leaving the Ravens to turn to third-year signal-caller Tyler Huntley.

There appeared to be a disconnect between Jackson and Baltimore regarding the severity of his injury, as Ravens head coach John Harbaugh initially said the 26-year-old would be back in a matter of "days" to "weeks." Now, it sounds like Jackson won't be back on the field this season regardless of how far Baltimore advances in the playoffs.

However, Jackson not traveling with the team for a postseason game indicates a deeper problem as he nears a crucial offseason. The 2019 NFL MVP can test the open market after declining a contract extension offer from the Ravens prior to the 2022 campaign.

Despite the apparent impasse, Baltimore still sees Jackson as its quarterback of the future. NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported Saturday that the Ravens "haven't changed their stance" regarding Jackson and plan to resume negotiations with him whenever their season comes to an end.

If Jackson is truly ready to move on from the Ravens, he will be the most coveted player available during the 2023 offseason.