For two-time NFL MVP Lamar Jackson, dominating the gridiron is not just about outrunning defenders; it's also about outlasting agonizing pain. After suffering a severe high ankle sprain that he bluntly labelled "very, very, very, very, very painful".

The Baltimore Ravens superstar is now locked in a very gruelling battle against his own body. 

While the alarming swelling that was there initially has finally gone away, thankfully, Jackson is now facing a much tougher hurdle: he has a vulnerable state with pain tolerance that has restricted the swift, explosive mobility fans come to the stadiums to see. He is refusing to return as a "statue" just to take the hits; Jackson's raw perception is shedding light on the invisible, high-stakes physical toll demanded of football's most dynamic playmaker.

"Right now, I'm headed in the right direction," Jackson said after Friday's practice. "I can't call it right now; I still have a grace period, so we'll see, man, hopefully. But I feel like I'm heading in the right direction right now.”

So what's next?

Jackson is experiencing ankle pain right now and he had explained that his availability would be totally based more on his own pain tolerance than the ankle swelling. Jackson said his swelling went down a lot, "but just the pain tolerance, just trying to move as I move.”

Baltimore is right now at 7-12 and  unfortunately Jackson could not participate because he had decided to partake as the team’s starting quarterback in Week 11 of the 2018 campaign.

Though there is a huge game ahead of Baltimore, there is rising concern  because Jackson was reported to get a chance to play back in Week 5 but could now miss his third straight game. When will Jackson return? Well, that's a question that comes down to kickoff against the visiting Bengals at 1 p.m. ET on Sunday to answer that question.

Written by

Tanushree Bhowmick

Edited by

Tanushree Bhowmick