Lamar Jackson injury update: Ravens star QB's status up in the air ahead of AFC North showdown vs. Steelers

The Baltimore Ravens surprisingly have one more chance to potentially save their season when they visit the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 18. Whether Lamar Jackson (back contusion) will be a part of that effort remains up in the air as Baltimore coach John Harbaugh told reporters Monday that the team will have more information about its star quarterback's status come their first practice.

"It's to be determined," Harbaugh said. "He's coming off a very serious injury, and he's working at it -- saw him in here today working at it -- so I think we'll know a lot more on Wednesday."

Jackson has dealt with a plethora of injuries this year, not just an early-season hamstring strain (missed three games) and his current back contusion. Ankle, toe and knee issues and popped up for Jackson on the injury report throughout the year and he has had just one full week of practice since returning from the hamstring injury. The back contusion was significant enough that Jackson struggled to even toss a ball with a member of the team's training staff in the locker room during the Week 16 game against the New England Patriots, and he did not practice at all leading up to last week's game against the Green Bay Packers.

"It was not good at all early in the week, and it improved as the week went on, and that was cause for optimism," Harbaugh said.

NFL playoff picture: Ravens-Steelers to decide AFC North in Week 18; Panthers have two paths to postseason

Tyler Sullivan

After Week 16, the Ravens' playoff hopes appeared slim: Baltimore blew a 11-point fourth quarter lead in a 28-24 loss to New England -- a game Jackson left in the first half after getting kneed in the back by safety Craig Woodson. 

Furthermore, the Steelers dramatically held off the Detroit Lions, 29-24. That meant either a Ravens loss or a Steelers win in Week 17 would hand the division to Pittsburgh. But the Ravens did their part, beating the Packers 41-24 behind a 216-yard, four-touchdown performance by Derrick Henry and solid play by Jackson's backup, Tyler Huntley, on Saturday night. Then the Cleveland Browns upset the Steelers 13-6 on Sunday, pushing the AFC North race to the final week.

Huntley, 27, would again get the call against Pittsburgh if Jackson cannot play. He went 16 for 20 for 107 yards and a touchdown and ran for 60 yards against Green Bay.

"A+," Harbaugh said after the game. "A+. Give [Huntley] two pluses on top of that, maybe three. That's how it was. It couldn't have been any better. I just thought [he had] some of the clutch plays -- the kind of plays that you have to make. I see Tyler every day in practice, so I'm not surprised. I see him execute every day in practice, but for him to make the third-down conversions, the scramble plays, the throws, the on-time throws, the accurate throws that he made to run the offense in Lambeau field -- it's loud. In Lambeau Field, to run the offense the way he did, make the checks the way he did, get us in the plays we needed to get in, just A+."

Harbaugh said Monday that the team's confidence in Huntley would not factor into the Jackson decision and that if Jackson is ready to play, he will play.