"The urgency of that matters to me because we've got free agents and I don't want to go into free agency with that hanging over our head," Bisciotti said. "And I made that clear to Lamar and I think he was very appreciative of my stance and hopefully willing to work with Eric [DeCosta, Ravens general manager] and not get this thing dragged out into April like the last time. It's very hard for him to build a roster when that thing is not settled."
If the NFC South got the ending it deserved, then so too did the AFC North. The division's season finale couldn't quite match the pathetic reality of two 8-9 teams sitting at home rooting for two other losing teams to send them to playoffs, but it perfectly captured that which defined this division throughout the season: the perception of prestige undermined by the cold hard reality of badly played football.
Monken believes a season filled with a handful of injuries has been difficult for Jackson, a two-time MVP who is known as one of the best dual threat quarterbacks in league history. "I'm just telling you, for a guy that loves to play football and loves to be out there with his teammates, it's been hard," Monken said. "It's been a struggle, because like any player, to be able to shine, you want to feel your best, especially with lower body injuries."
BALTIMORE -- After Sunday's 30-16 win over the Chicago Bears, coach John Harbaugh called the Baltimore Ravens' violation of the NFL's injury report policy regarding Lamar Jackson "an honest mistake." The Ravens could be subject to discipline by the league because they originally listed Jackson as a full participant in Friday's practice when he only ran the scout team. Baltimore then changed Jackson's practice participation to limited Saturday while also ruling him out because of a right hamstring injury.
Oddsmakers -- and some respected bettors -- seemed to believe Jackson would be back, too. The Ravens opened as 6.5-point home favorites over the Chicago Bears and grew to minus-7.5 on Friday at ESPN BET. Up to that point, approximately two-thirds of the bets and money wagered was on the underdog Bears plus the points. Elsewhere, though, sportsbooks such as the Westgate SuperBook in Las Vegas and Caesars Sportsbook reported receiving bets on the Ravens from sharp bettors.
BALTIMORE -- The NFL will investigate the Baltimore Ravens' handling of quarterback Lamar Jackson's practice participation, which led to the two-time NFL Most Valuable Player being ruled out with a hamstring injury for Sunday's game against the Chicago Bears.
