With the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens both sitting on 6-6 records atop the AFC North, we know how important this Week 14 contest is for each team. A loss for Pittsburgh would give Mike Tomlin's squad just a 15 percent chance of making the playoffs, per NFL.com, entering the home stretch of the 2025 season.
What we didn't see coming is the Steelers potentially catching another massive break on Sunday.
Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic reported that Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (ankle) did not practice on Thursday. This comes one day after being a limited participant in Baltimore's Wednesday practice. Zrebiec also reported that starting nose tackle Travis Jones did not practice.
Jackson missed multiple games with a hamstring injury early in the season before returning. Jackson helped the Ravens to a five-game winning streak after a dismal 1-5 start the the season, but in Week 13, Baltimore fell to the Cincinnati Bengals.
Jackson started and finished the game for the Ravens last week, throwing 32 passes while taking three sacks. Now his ankle injury suddenly makes his status for Week 14 against the Steelers murky.
The Pittsburgh Steelers could get the ultimate gift if QB Lamar Jackson can't play in Week 14
Despite his struggles and injuries that have hampered him this season, Lamar Jackson is still one of the league's most threatening quarterbacks. Though his rushing ability hasn't been the same as he's dealt with lower-body injuries, Jackson is the 2023 NFL MVP, and many argued he should have won the award last year as well.
The Baltimore Ravens will be looking to redeem themselves in their Week 13 meltdown against the Bengals, and the last thing they will want to do is lose two games in a row against AFC North opponents. Not having Jackson would make all the difference in the game.
Backup quarterback Cooper Rush led the Ravens to a 0-3 record in the games in which he threw at least 10 passes this season, and he's 0-2 as a starter in 2025. The Ravens ultimately turned to Tyler Huntley when Rush was benched in Week 6, and Huntley made a start against the Bears in Week 8.
Still, the talent drop-off from starting to backup QB is as big as any team in the league, and not having Jackson available against the Steelers would be catastrophic for the Ravens.
Lamar Jackson has only missed one full practice. If he's able to suit up on Friday, this would be a great indication of his status in Week 14. Pittsburgh Steelers fans should keep a watchful eye on this storyline ahead of an all-important divisional game against the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday.