Conor Orr , Sports Illustrated’s, said that the Ravens needed to look at their quarterback situation in a broader context.
Orr argued that the team should draft a backup quarterback for Jackson to give them some flexibility.
Orr wrote: “Nobody is saying Jackson should go. But the sensible amongst us say that Jackson requires a safety net which can grow to become his replacement in a structured rookie agreement one day.”
Orr thinks that the draft of 2026 is the best time to make it.
Orr wrote that “Baltimore’s pick would be the 14th if current standings were to be followed, and this class of quarterbacks could serve as a preamble for a more promising 2027 group. This could mean there is a shorter distance between the Ravens, and a promising candidate at the position.” If Jackson is healthy, the Ravens will almost certainly not be able to select a top-tier QB in the next draft.
Jackson, who will be 29 in just two weeks, has missed three games due to a hamstring problem. He missed at least one training session over the last seven weeks due to knee, ankle and toe injuries.
Jackson was unable to take part in the walk-through on Tuesday, ahead of the must-win match this Saturday against the Green Bay Packers.
Jackson missed 12 games due to injuries in 2021 and 2022. However, he didn’t miss a game in 2023 or in 2024.
Orr wrote: “If you take away illness and rest, with a playoff position already secured, Jackson appears on an NFL injury list 17 times.” “Jackson has about 800 fewer carries (1,077 compared to 1,807) than Saquon, who was also drafted in the same year. Jackson’s career has seen him sacked 225 time and hit 178 times. Many of these are kneeldowns, in a victory formation. I have no doubt — zero— that Jackson’s talent with the arm can help him transition seamlessly into a new phase of his life once his athleticism is no longer an asset. Baltimore doesn’t know how that will look yet.
“When you take all this into account, and add in the fact that Jackson’s mega extension will need to again be reworked – it seems to me that the Ravens don’t need to trade Jackson. John Harbaugh does not need to be fired. They do need to make the year 2026 the “Jordan Love” year and draft a suitable successor to Jackson. This would help the Ravens to avoid the kind of collapse that we saw in this season. It would also give them a strong negotiating position and allow for a situation similar to Green Bay’s with the late Packers Aaron Rodgers who won back to back MVP awards after submitting himself to an offensive system which balanced his skillset with a sensible running game.”