Ravens star Jackson, NFL MVP Mahomes benched for finales / Photo: JAMIE SQUIRE - GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP/File
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Ravens star Jackson, NFL MVP Mahomes benched for finales
With NFL playoff positions assured, the reigning champion Kansas City Chiefs have benched quarterback Patrick Mahomes and the league-leading Baltimore Ravens are resting star quarterback Lamar Jackson for this weekend's regular-season finales.
Chiefs coach Andy Reid and Ravens coach John Harbaugh each said on Wednesday that their clubs' top offensive sparks will not play, avoiding any potential injury with the playoffs set to begin the following week.
The Chiefs, locked into the third seed in the AFC playoffs, will turn to Blaine Gabbert in place of reigning NFL Most Valuable Player Patrick Mahomes.
"Pat won't play," Reid said. "Blaine will take over at that spot. We'll rotate the other guys in as we go.
"I just want to make sure we're ready when the time comes."
Jackson, favored for this season's MVP award after guiding Baltimore to a league-best 13-3 mark and the AFC top seed, will not play when the Ravens play host to rival Pittsburgh on Saturday, the Steelers chasing a victory to boost their playoff hopes.
It means Jackson will have a break of nearly three weeks between games, since the Ravens have clinched a first-round bye in the AFC playoffs.
Jackson suffered a knee sprain in 2022 and missed the final five regular-season games plus a playoff matchup with Cincinnati. In 2021, Jackson missed the final four games of the campaign with an ankle injury.
But in 2019, when Jackson was a unanimous selection as NFL MVP, he was among seven starters rested for the final game of the season after Baltimore had clinched a top AFC seed.
The Ravens struggled when they returned to the field in those playoffs and lost 28-12 to Tennessee, scoring a season-low in points with Jackson completing 31-of-59 passes for 365 yards with two interceptions and a touchdown and rushing 20 times for 143 yards.
Backup Tyler Huntley will start for the Ravens in place of Jackson with Josh Johnson in reserve.
"The quarterback for this game will be Tyler. The backup will be Josh," Harbaugh said. "That's the way we'll be going with it."
Harbaugh praised Jackson for his passing and rushing skills, which have seen the Ravens win six games in a row, humbling playoff-bound Miami and San Francisco the past two weeks.
"With Lamar, it's just kind of a natural progression," Harbaugh said. "He's throwing the ball well. He's moving the pocket. He's seeing the field. He's protecting the ball, all the run game checks that he makes -- it's a lot of things."
L.Torres--PC