Ravens' Lamar Jackson Needs Thumb Surgery, Headed to Injured Reserve

The Ravens' worst-case scenario at quarterback just got worse. Lamar Jackson needs surgery on his right thumb and will be placed on injured reserve, head coach Jesse Minter told reporters after Sunday's 36-10 loss in Buffalo. ESPN's Adam Schefter was among the first to pass it along.

Jackson was making his return from a three-game absence with an ankle injury and was hurt on Baltimore's first offensive play. He came back to the sideline later but never returned, as we covered in our earlier story. A stint on IR means he'll miss at least four games. Asked whether the injury could end Jackson's season, Minter said, "We'll see," and reporters at the press conference described it as potentially season-ending. No date for the surgery or recovery timeline has been announced.

It only got worse from there. Backup Tyler Huntley injured his toe and was ruled out in the first half, which pushed undrafted rookie Joe Fagnano into the game as the emergency third quarterback (here's that story). Fagnano finished the game, but the offense managed just 68 net passing yards. The 26-point margin was Baltimore's biggest loss since a 44-10 defeat to Houston in October 2025.

Huntley's status for this week is uncertain, which leaves Fagnano as the only healthy quarterback on the roster. Fagnano said he hopes to be ready for Thursday. The Ravens fall to 4-4 and have just three days to sort out the position before hosting the Jaguars on Thursday night. With the trade deadline on Nov. 10, Baltimore will need more depth at quarterback, whether it comes through a signing or a trade.