Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson left Sunday’s game against the Buffalo Bills with a right thumb injury suffered on Baltimore’s first offensive play. He will need surgery to repair the injury and will require a stint on injured reserve that will sideline him for at least four weeks. Head coach Jesse Minter announced the update after Baltimore’s 36-10 loss to the Bills. The Ravens did not announce the precise nature of Jackson’s injury, and Minter did not yet know if he will finish the season. “We’ll see,” Minter said. Jackson was injured on the first play back from injury. Jackson had contact on his hand after his first pass of the game and felt immediate pain. He left the field and walked directly to the locker room. Huntley took his place at quarterback. The Ravens quickly ruled out Jackson and were left with emergency quarterback Joe Fagnano before halftime after backup Tyler Huntley left with a toe injury in the second quarter. The Ravens initially announced it was questionable for Jackson to return with a thumb injury before ruling him out before the conclusion of the first quarter. The injury is to his throwing hand. The Ravens initially listed him as questionable to return before ruling him out at halftime. Fagnano took over the Baltimore offense with Buffalo holding a 13-7 lead and finished the game. Fagnano is an undrafted rookie out of Connecticut who signed with Baltimore as a free agent. He completed 10 of 21 passes for 91 yards with 1 interception and no touchdowns. Fagnano had never played an NFL snap before Sunday and was not active Sunday, but was listed as Baltimore’s emergency quarterback. Under NFL rules, Huntley would have been allowed to return to the game if he had been medically cleared, but that point was moot when he was ruled out before the third quarter. Another difficult injury for Jackson Jackson returned to the Baltimore bench after halftime dressed in street clothes and with a brace on his injured thumb. He returned to the Ravens (4-3) in time for their critical AFC showdown against Josh Allen and the Bills, but now faces another extended absence. The injury is another tough blow for Jackson and a Ravens team looking to compete for a Super Bowl championship. Jackson is one of the best players in the game when healthy, but injuries have derailed his last two seasons. Jackson missed four games last season and was limited in several others with leg and back injuries. The Ravens were projected last season as a Super Bowl contender, but finished 8-9 and missed the playoffs. The Ravens were again projected to compete for a Super Bowl this season, but they will be in a fight just to make the playoffs at 4-4 with Jackson injured. Jackson, 29, is playing in the fourth year of a five-year, $260 million contract. Team owner Steve Bisciotti has expressed his desire to make Jackson a Raven for life, but the two sides have reportedly not engaged in substantial contract negotiations.
