The Cleveland Browns are one of the early surprises of the 2026 NFL season, opening the year with a 3-1 record. Cleveland will be working to prove that its quick start isn’t a fluke, and the Browns will have the luxury of an easy schedule as they try to keep the momentum rolling.
After some recent injury news, one of Cleveland’s few tough games may have just gotten a bit easier.
Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson sustained a sprained ankle during his team’s Week 4 win, and now the quarterback’s availability is up in the air for the coming weeks. While the injury isn’t believed to be severe or long-term, it has been reported that Jackson could miss a couple of games.
That makes the news relevant to the Browns since they play the Ravens in Week 6. If Jackson has to miss at least two games, he will miss the matchup against Cleveland.
That could be massive, especially considering the two teams are tied atop the AFC North standings after four weeks.
Lamar Jackson’s health could have massive implications on AFC North standings
Obviously there’s a ton of football left to be played, but Cleveland currently holds the tiebreaker over Baltimore because it is 1-0 in the division, while Baltimore hasn’t played a division game yet. If the AFC North remains close, division records and head-to-head records will be relevant at the end of the season.
The Ravens’ first AFC North game will be the Week 6 meeting against the Browns, and it could be detrimental for Baltimore to be without Jackson.
In his career, Jackson has a 10-4 record against Cleveland in games that he started, including three straight wins. In the one game Jackson missed against the Browns, in December of 2022, Cleveland won 13-3 against the Tyler Huntley-led Ravens.
If Jackson is out in Week 6, the Browns will likely face Huntley again, and while he’s a capable backup, he’s not Lamar Jackson. That could give Cleveland a major advantage in its attempt to pick up another division win, and the Browns would have a chance to steal one of the head-to-head meetings against Baltimore.
The competitor in Cleveland would probably want to face the Ravens at full strength. However, if Jackson unfortunately has to miss the game against the Browns, it’s impossible to ignore how that could help Cleveland.
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