why isn't lamar jackson playing

Lamar Jackson has recently been dealing with a back contusion , which caused him to miss time, including a Week 17 game against the Green Bay Packers in late December 2025. He suffered the injury after taking a knee to the back in a Week 16 matchup against the New England Patriots and was unable to practice leading into the following week.

Quick Scoop

• Lamar Jackson’s recent absences have been tied mainly to a back injury (back contusion).
• The injury occurred in Week 16 vs. the Patriots when he took a knee to the lower back and had trouble even lightly throwing afterward.

• He was officially ruled inactive for at least one game (vs. the Packers) as the Ravens managed his recovery.

Is he still not playing?

• As of early January 2026, reports indicate Jackson has returned to full practice and is expected to play in a must‑win Week 18 game vs. the Steelers , after missing just that one game with the back issue.

• So if you’re seeing people ask “why isn’t Lamar Jackson playing,” they are usually referring to that recent stretch where he sat out due to the back contusion, or reacting to older discussions about his injury history.

Recent injury context

• 2025 season: Jackson dealt with multiple injuries (hamstring, knee, ankle, toe) and missed several games before the back contusion added another setback late in the year.

• Some fans on forums have debated whether repeated injuries are affecting his performance or availability, but official team reports consistently list specific physical injuries rather than disciplinary or contract reasons.

In short: if he’s not playing in a given game, the most likely reason lately has been that back contusion or another officially reported injury, not anything off‑field.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.