Lamar Jackson opens up about injury; explains why he didn’t travel to playoff game

Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson has been in the headlines for much of the offseason, not just for his ongoing contract negotiations with the Ravens, but also for his frequent Twitter activity. The former unanimous MVP was back at it again on Tuesday night, this time rebuking the notion that he held out at the end of the 2022 season.

After suffering a knee injury against the Denver Broncos in Week 12, Jackson’s initial timetable to return to the playing field was one-to-three weeks. Instead, Jackson missed the remainder of the season — his second consecutive season ending in December.

This time, however, fans and even some media members alike speculated whether or not the star quarterback was really still hurt or if it was instead a business decision to remain sidelined due to the lack of a new contract from Baltimore. This drama was only exacerbated when Jackson did not travel with the team for their road playoff game against the Cincinnati Bengals — a game in which the Ravens fell just short with backup quarterback Tyler Huntley at the helm.

Jackson explained his reasoning for not making the trip in a response on Twitter.

Jackson revealed earlier this week that he requested a trade from Baltimore on March 2, but so far no teams have seemed willing to meet his demands. Jackson has been able to negotiate with other teams since the Ravens placed the non-exclusive franchise tag on him earlier this month. A team would have to forfeit their next two first-round picks to acquire Jackson if he agrees to an offer sheet with them that Baltimore will not match.