Ravens fined $100K for Jackson injury 'mistake'

OWINGS MILLS, Md. -- The Baltimore Ravens were fined $100,000 on Friday for violating the league's injury report policy by incorrectly listing quarterback Lamar Jackson's practice participation last week.

Baltimore avoided losing a draft pick because the league determined the violation was the result of negligence and not an attempt to gain a competitive advantage.

The Ravens will not appeal the fine.

Shortly after the NFL's announcement, the Ravens wrote in a statement: "It is critical that the Baltimore Ravens always operate with integrity and in full accordance with NFL guidelines. We clearly made an error regarding player injury reporting and cooperated transparently with the league's investigation. We accept the decision by the NFL that we violated the policy and have taken steps to ensure that we will be compliant moving forward."

According to a league source, the Ravens cooperated fully with the investigation. If the investigation had determined the violation was intentional or competitive in nature, the discipline would have been more significant, including the potential loss of draft picks, the source added.

The discipline stems from the Ravens listing Jackson as a full participant for an Oct. 24 practice where he ran only the scout team. Baltimore then changed Jackson's practice participation to limited a day later while also ruling him out.

The NFL injury report policy states: "Participation on the scout team, no matter how extensive, by a player whose normal repetitions would be with the starter but for his medical condition, would not alter the player's proper designation as 'limited participation.'"

Jackson, who was dealing with a right hamstring injury, had been listed as a limited participant for practices Wednesday and Thursday for the week leading up to the Ravens' game against the Chicago Bears. When he was upgraded to a full participant on that Friday -- which was the last full practice of the week -- it suggested that the two-time NFL Most Valuable Player was trending toward playing.

After changing Jackson's practice participation last week, the Ravens explained in a statement that they made the decision to do so "upon further evaluation today and after conferring with the league office, because Lamar didn't take any starter reps in practice."

Filling in for the injured Jackson, Tyler Huntley led the Ravens to a 30-16 win over the Bears on Sunday. After the game, Ravens coach John Harbaugh said the violation of the NFL's injury report policy was "an honest mistake."

Bears coach Ben Johnson wouldn't say how much the Ravens' change in Jackson's practice participation status impacted Sunday's game.

"Like I said early in the week, we were preparing for Lamar," Johnson said, "and then when we found out he wasn't playing, then we get ready for the next guy."