Ravens QB Lamar Jackson tests positive for COVID-19; game vs. Steelers unlikely to be played

Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson has tested positive for COVID-19, a source with knowledge of the situation confirmed Thursday, plunging the team’s season into further doubt amid a growing coronavirus outbreak.

Jackson, the NFL’s reigning Most Valuable Player and a beloved leader in the Ravens’ locker room, is the highest-profile player yet sidelined by a virus that three other Ravens tested positive for Thursday, a source said. With the team having returned positive tests every day this week, Ravens players were told Thursday night in a call that Sunday’s game against the Pittsburgh Steelers is increasingly unlikely to be played.

It’s unclear when or whether the NFL could make up the game, which the NFL on Wednesday postponed from its Thanksgiving Day slot. The Ravens are scheduled to play the Dallas Cowboys next Thursday. An NFL spokesman said Thursday night there has been no change in the status of Sunday’s game.

The league reportedly has explored the possibility of adding a Week 18 to the regular season, provided that rescheduled games would affect the postseason. The Steelers are undefeated heading into Week 12 and the AFC’s current No. 1 seed. The Ravens, who would be eliminated from AFC North title contention with a third straight loss this week, are one spot out of the seven-team field.

Under coronavirus protocols, any players who returned a positive test taken after Monday would likely miss both this week’s game and the Ravens’ game against the Cowboys. Any players who returned positive tests would be unable to play unless they test negative twice at least 24 hours apart.

Jackson is the second Ravens quarterback affected by the team’s recent outbreak; third-stringer Trace McSorley was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list Friday. Robert Griffin III is the Ravens’ backup quarterback, and Tyler Huntley, an undrafted rookie, is the team’s lone practice squad quarterback.

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“Praying for my brother @Lj_era8 [Lamar Jackson] and every player, staff member and their families dealing with COVID-19,” tweeted Griffin, a former Washington Football Team star who started the Ravens’ Week 17 game against the Steelers last season. He completed 11 of 21 passes for 96 yards with an interception and rushed for 50 yards in a 28-10 win.

“Ensuring the safety of the entire organization is important,” he added. “Handling this outbreak within the team is bigger than football.”

The Ravens have not been allowed in the team facility since Monday, when coach John Harbaugh announced that running backs Mark Ingram II and J.K. Dobbins had tested positive for COVID-19. Defensive tackle Brandon Williams joined them on the reserve/COVID-19 list as a “high-risk” close contact.

In recent days, Pro Bowl defensive end Calais Campbell, offensive linemen Patrick Mekari and Matt Skura and outside linebacker Pernell McPhee were placed on the list. On Thursday, Ward was added as well. Later Thursday night, the NFL Network reported that Jackson had tested positive.

Throughout a pandemic that has claimed over 250,000 lives, Jackson has been among the Ravens’ most visible adherents to public safety standards. He said he mostly stayed in his South Florida home during the offseason. During news conferences, he removed his face mask only to speak to reporters. And he regularly acknowledged that following protocols was paramount.

When asked earlier this month about cornerback Marlon Humphrey’s positive COVID-19 test, he said: “Unfortunately, it can happen to anyone. It’s just that it happened to Marlon. They always emphasize that. … Here, we always emphasize that guys have to stay safe, sanitize, keep your mask on, keep your distance. We just have to keep it going, that’s all. Stay safe.”