ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson will undergo surgery on his throwing hand and could miss the rest of the season, Head Coach Jesse Minter announced following a 36-10 loss to the Buffalo Bills on Sunday.
Jackson was injured on Baltimore’s opening offensive snap at Highmark Stadium, in what was his first appearance after sitting out three contests with an ankle injury. The two-time NFL Most Valuable Player will head to injured reserve, a roster designation that requires him to sit out at least four games, though Minter acknowledged the setback could conclude his 2026 campaign entirely.
“That’ll be a surgery deal. He’ll go to (injured reserve),” Minter said during his postgame press conference, ABC News reported. “That’s a tough deal.”
A crushing blow on snap one
The sequence unfolded immediately after Buffalo drove for a touchdown on the game’s opening possession. Jackson executed a play-action fake to running back Derrick Henry and set up to pass, attempting a throw toward wide receiver Zay Flowers. Buffalo defensive lineman Greg Rousseau disrupted the attempt, and Jackson’s right hand struck Rousseau’s arm on the follow-through.
The 29-year-old quarterback immediately signaled toward his hand, took a knee before reaching the sideline and then walked directly to the locker room. Although Baltimore initially listed him as questionable, he was quickly ruled out. Jackson later returned to the sideline in a sweatshirt, wearing a protective splint over his right thumb.
“It’s very tough when you have a warrior like (Jackson) go down,” Ravens linebacker Roquan Smith said, according to ABC News. Smith added that the sport can be merciless, noting that “this game don’t care who you are at any time.”
Injuries cascade down depth chart
Jackson’s departure sparked an escalating crisis under center for Baltimore. Backup quarterback Tyler Huntley stepped in but suffered a toe injury during the second quarter when he was sacked and stripped of the ball by Buffalo safety Cole Bishop. The Ravens ruled Huntley out at the start of the third quarter.
The double blow forced Baltimore to deploy emergency third-string passer Joe Fagnano, an undrafted rookie out of UConn who made his regular-season debut. Fagnano completed 10 of 21 throws for 91 yards with one interception while facing heavy pressure from Buffalo’s defensive front. He briefly required medical attention after absorbing a low hit to the knee from Bills defensive lineman Ed Oliver, which drew a roughing-the-passer penalty.
Should Fagnano have been unable to continue, running back Justice Hill was prepared to take over at quarterback, SB Nation reported.
Short turnaround for Baltimore
The defeat dropped the Ravens to 4-4 on the year and extended their losing streak to three games. Minter, navigating his first season at the helm after replacing John Harbaugh, stressed that the team must rally around whoever takes the field.
“It’s definitely my job to make sure that we stay together, that we don’t point fingers, that we have each other’s back, that we believe in the next man up mentality,” Minter said.
What remains unsettled is who will start under center when Baltimore hosts the Jacksonville Jaguars on Thursday night. Fagnano said after the contest that he anticipates being physically ready to play, though the short four-day week gives the coaching staff minimal time to evaluate Huntley’s toe injury or explore signing a free agent to bolster the roster.
