The Baltimore Ravens changed Lamar Jackson’s practice status for a practice that had already ended. That single revision, one day before their Week 8 game against the Chicago Bears, didn’t confuse fans; it ignited a firestorm.
Now, accusations of manipulating injury reports for profit are flying, and fans are demanding the NFL take action against what they see as a blatant deception.
Why Are Fans Accusing the Ravens of Lying About Lamar Jackson’s Injury?
The controversy began when the Baltimore Ravens initially listed Jackson as a full Friday practice participant, only to rule him out for the Week 8 contest. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported that Jackson was limited to running the scout team, suggesting he remains at least a week away from returning from his hamstring injury. However, the situation escalated when the Ravens revised that Friday practice listing from “full participant” to “limited.”
The #Ravens have now made it official: Lamar Jackson is out and they updated his status on Friday from full to limited. pic.twitter.com/T06U6Po4MO
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) October 25, 2025
That retroactive change is what sent fans over the edge.
“How can you downgrade someone from a practice that already happened?” one user wrote on X. “This FO getting fined real bad.”
How can you downgrade someone from a practice that already happened this FO getting fined real bad
— z (@8tozay) October 25, 2025
The accusations grew more serious, with another fan directly accusing owner Steve Bisciotti of orchestrating a scheme to boost ticket sales, and he asked the NFL to fine him.
Others connected the incident to the league’s broader concerns with gambling. One fan noted, “Lying on the injury report the week of the NBA gambling scandal. Gotta believe the NFL is furious…”
Lying on the injury report the week of the NBA gambling scandal.
Gotta believe the NFL is furious…
— Chester (@Singal3) October 25, 2025
The calls for punishment became severe. Some demanded heavy sanctions, with one post claiming the team committed a serious crime. “It’s clear violation of rules, they manipulated the practice reports so league sponsored sports books would take in heavy Ravens action then rug pulled the public today. They deserve to be banned from the NFL or at least stripped of 3 first round picks.”
It’s clear violation of rules, they manipulated the practice reports so league sponsored sports books would take in heavy Ravens action then rug pulled the public today. They deserve to be banned from the NFL or at least stripped of 3 first round picks. This is a serious crime
— BS (@BSDFS6) October 25, 2025
This off-field drama is the worst time for a Ravens team in a major slump. At 1-5, Baltimore has tied its worst start in franchise history and is currently riding a four-game losing streak. The team’s reliance on its star quarterback is clear, as the Ravens are just 5-12 without Jackson since 2019.
When healthy, Jackson has been exceptional this season. In four starts, he has completed 71.6% of his passes for 869 yards, 10 touchdowns, and only one interception, while also leading the league in yards per attempt at 9.1. But Baltimore’s offense has stalled since his hamstring injury on Sept. 28.
Based on PFSN’s Offense Impact metric, the Ravens currently have the 26th-ranked offense in the league, which is a big concern as they have the worst defense in the league based on PFSN’s Defense Impact metric.
Backup Cooper Rush struggled mightily in Jackson’s absence, throwing four interceptions and zero touchdowns over two starts. Now, the team will turn to Tyler Huntley, who has a 5-9 career record as a starter, to lead the offense.
Ravens Break Silence on Changing Jackson’s Practice Designation
The Ravens released a statement to address the backlash they faced for changing Jackson’s practice designation.
“Lamar Jackson was present for and participated fully in our entire Friday practice ahead of Sunday’s game against the Bears,” the Ravens wrote. “Upon further evaluation today and after conferring with the league office, because Lamar didn’t take starter reps in practice, we updated our report to reflect his practice participation.”
Baltimore’s statement of Lamar Jackson’s practice participation being changed today as he also was ruled out for Sunday’s game: pic.twitter.com/hk3ffHCttM
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 25, 2025
“The NFL will look into the #Ravens practice and participation situation surrounding Lamar Jackson’s status, I’m told, as it reviews any matter involving a change to a player’s status,” wrote NFL insider Ian Rapoport on X.
For now, all eyes are on the league office. The NFL has strict rules about accurately reporting injuries, especially given ongoing concerns about gambling integrity. With fans demanding action, the Ravens could face fines if the league determines their late downgrade was deceptive.
The Ravens (1-5) will host the Chicago Bears (4-2) at 1 p.m. ET on Sunday in a matchup now loaded with tension. While Baltimore focuses on snapping its losing streak, a bigger question lingers: Did the organization’s handling of the injury report create a problem far worse than another loss?
