The Pittsburgh Steelers seemed to be running away with the AFC North prior to a disappointing Thursday Night Football loss to the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 7. The division is still very much up for grabs, but the preseason favorite in the Baltimore Ravens has struggled immensely throughout the majority of the campaign. Entering Week 8 with a record of 1-5, there is not too much hope for the organization. Lamar Jackson has missed time due to a hamstring injury, and his absence will continue, as the dynamic signal-caller is not going to play against the Chicago Bears in a must-win game.
Patrick Smith / Getty Images
Ravens Head Coach John Harbaugh throws his hands up in the air in disgust as he shows displeasure after a questionable call from an official during a home game in Baltimore, MD.
Team Owner Steve Bisciotti cannot be happy with Head Coach John Harbaugh, even though Jackson's injury has a lot to do with the slow start. Fans in Baltimore got excited when it seemed as if the two-time MVP would return after an extended absence, but things went awry on Saturday when the franchise randomly downgraded Jackson to out. His practice participation on Friday was also changed from "full" to "limited".
There has been an update to Lamar Jackson’s Friday practice and game status. Jackson was downgraded from a full practice participant to limited, and he has been ruled out for tomorrow’s game vs. Chicago.
— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) October 25, 2025
It came as a shock for Steelers fans and everyone else who follows the NFL. Given all the recent developments with sports gambling in the NBA, Jackson being expected to play, and then not, drastically affected a lot of the betting market. Mike Florio from ProFootballTalk is now reporting that, due to the league rules, the Ravens may be in trouble moving forward.
"The NFL is reviewing the situation," Florio wrote. "And the policy, a copy of which PFT has obtained, contains specific information about the potential penalties the Ravens may face. The Commissioner, under the policy, “may deprive the offending club of a selection choice or choice, and/or may fine the offending club and/or may fine or suspend with or without pay any involved individuals as appropriate.”"
The biggest issue with how the Ravens handled the situation was Jackson's practice participation. He didn't take first-team reps, but the team felt it necessary to declare him a full participant.
"It’s pretty simple," Florio noted. "The use of “full” created the impression that Jackson was ready to play. The truth — that he took no first-team reps — paints a very different picture. The fact that he was ruled out on Saturday makes it all look even worse."
This wasn't originally expected to be a big deal, but it quickly caught up to Baltimore, and all the Steelers can do is laugh. Adam Schefter did officially report that the Ravens will be under investigation for the sketchy happenings.
Charles LeClaire / Getty Images
Steelers linebacker Patrick Queen (6) attempts to tackle Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (#8) as the two teams face off during a professional football game at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, PA.
A lot still needs to come out about the situation, but Florio made sure to note that if it is determined that this was not a clerical error, Baltimore will face a lot of penalties in the coming months.
"It could get even worse for the Ravens," Florio wrote. "The policy contemplates the possibility that it wasn’t an accident or a clerical error. The league’s investigation will include an exploration of whether the “club or any involved person deliberately set out to violate the Injury Report Policy or made a calculated decision to risk the possible penalties for such violation as an acceptable cost of attempting to gain an unfair competitive advantage (i.e., as a ‘cost of doing business’).”"
The reporter continued his analysis by summarizing the very specific NFL rule that comes into play when something like this occurs. Currently, Bisciotti and Harbaugh could be in some big trouble.
"If such behavior is established by a preponderance of the evidence (“more likely than not”), the Ravens and specific individuals involved will be subject to additional penalties," Florio scribed.
Time will tell where the investigation leads, but the NFL has to take incidents as such very seriously, especially with all of the modern-day challenges that come with professional sports and gambling.
Morry Gash / Associated Press
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell speaks to reporters at a Super Bowl LVI news conference outside SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, California..
This could get extremely dicey for the Ravens, as the well-versed Florio explained even more about what this could look like for Bisciotti's organization. If it was done intentionally; good luck.
"Either it was all a big mistake by the Ravens (which would still be a violation of the policy) or it was a deliberate effort by the Ravens to create the impression that Lamar Jackson would be starting on Sunday, in order to dupe the Bears into preparing for him and not for Tyler Huntley," Florio noted. "If it’s the latter, the outcome for the Ravens could be not good."
Steelers Surprised To See Ravens Struggling
Back in the preseason, no one would have predicted that, entering Week 8, Pittsburgh would be leading the AFC North and Baltimore would be 1-5. This situation with the Ravens now only adds to the drama that the division has gone through in 2025. Commissioner Roger Goodell taking a draft pick away from Baltimore may be unwarranted, but he and the league could use this to send a very strong message.
Do you think that the Ravens need to face serious disciplinary action after Jackson's injury report gaffe? Let us know in the comments below!
#SteelerNation
