Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson has tested positive for COVID-19, a source with knowledge of the situation confirmed Thursday, the latest player sidelined by a coronavirus outbreak that has imperiled Sunday’s game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Ravens players were informed Thursday night of new positive tests for players, including Jackson and defensive end Jihad Ward, the source said. In a call, they were told that Sunday’s game in Pittsburgh, already postponed from its original Thanksgiving Day date, is increasingly unlikely to be played.
An NFL spokesman said there has been no change in the game’s status. The NFL Network was the first to report that Jackson, the league’s reigning Most Valuable Player, had tested positive.
Jackson is the highest-profile Ravens player affected by the team’s outbreak. The Ravens have placed eight players on the reserve/COVID-19 list this week, and players were told that the team facility will remain closed until the team returns all negative tests. ESPN reported that four more Ravens players and one more staff member have tested positive for COVID-19.
Under coronavirus protocols, any player who returned a positive test taken after Monday would likely miss both the Steelers game and the Ravens’ next game, a Dec. 3 matchup with the Dallas Cowboys. Any players who returned positive tests would be unable to play unless they test negative twice at least 24 hours apart.
Robert Griffin III is the Ravens’ backup quarterback. Third-string quarterback Trace McSorley is on the reserve/COVID-19 list. Griffin, a former Washington Football Team star, started a Week 17 game against the Steelers last season, completing 11 of 21 passes for 96 yards with an interception and rushing for 50 yards in a 28-10 win.
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.
