The Baltimore Ravens plan to start Lamar Jackson at quarterback Sunday, according to multiple sources, making him the last of the five passers selected in the first round in 2018 to make his starting debut.
Veteran Joe Flacco, who is highly unlikely to be back in Baltimore next season, is virtually certain to miss Sunday's must-win game with the Bengals with a hip injury. Robert Griffin !II would back-up Jackson, though there are numerous plays in which both quarterbacks could be on the field together.
Flacco was prescribed extended rest for his hip injury. The Ravens were already looking for ways to get Jackson on the field more, and have been increasingly aware that RPOs with Jackson under center provided the only instances in which they were able to move the ball on the ground. Jackson is limited in what he can offer in the passing game at this point, but the staff will likely only require him to read half the field at a time and search for ways to put him in position to succeed.
Flacco, who carries a $27M cap figure for next season and has no more guaranteed money remaining on his contract, has always been a strong candidate to move on in 2019, and that remains the case. The Ravens need to get a look at Jackson before assessing their various potential changes in 2019 - including coaching staff - and are very likely looking at a rebuild next year under new general manager Eric DeCosta.
Baltimore has reached the playoffs just once since its Super Bowl win in 2012, and is 44-45 in that span. General manager Ozzie Newsome will retire after this season. Flacco would save the team $18.5M in cash and $10.5M in cap space if he was released or traded in the offseason. It is not inconceivable he and coach John Harbaugh could be reunited elsewhere in 2019.
