OWINGS MILLS, Md. — Two days after walking wearily off the field following his first action of Baltimore Ravens training camp, quarterback Lamar Jackson was again absent from practice Friday because of an undisclosed illness that has persisted for a week.
The team announced shortly after practice started that Jackson would remain sidelined: “He continues to undergo further evaluation and receive care from our medical team.”
QB Lamar Jackson remains sidelined with an illness and will not practice today. He continues to undergo further evaluation and receive care from our medical team.
— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) July 26, 2024
Friday marked the Ravens’ fifth practice of training camp — the team was off Thursday — and Jackson, the league’s reigning MVP, has missed four of them. He practiced for the first time on Wednesday but looked neither comfortable nor energetic and slowly walked back to the locker room a little more than an hour after practice started, with members of the medical and training staff trailing him.
The hope was that Jackson would be feeling much healthier following the off day and be able to practice on Friday. That, however, was not the case.
“He’s fighting through an illness, working with our doctors, doing all the tests — even more tests to make sure we got everything covered,” Ravens coach John Harbaugh said following the team’s first padded practice Friday. “I’m confident he’ll be back pretty soon. It’s just an unpredictable deal. You guys have been sick before. Sometimes it’s not easy. That’s what we’re dealing with.”
GO DEEPER
Lamar Jackson returns to Ravens training camp but has relatively short stay
Jackson first started experiencing symptoms last Saturday during meetings on the eve of training camp. He returned to the building the following day but was feeling even worse as team doctors sent him home.
The 27-year-old stayed away from the Under Armour Performance Center Monday and Tuesday before returning Wednesday. He was cleared to practice, but his time on the field was brief.
“Just wasn’t feeling up to it in terms of all the different things,” Harbaugh said. “You have hydration. There’s an energy level thing. It’s part of being sick, really.”
The Ravens, who practice Saturday afternoon but have their second day off Sunday, play their first preseason game on Aug. 9 against the Philadelphia Eagles at M&T Bank Stadium. Jackson was highly unlikely to play in that game anyway, even before he became ill. Harbaugh has not played his starting quarterback in the preseason the past two years, and Jackson has played just six total preseason snaps over the last three years.
Baltimore’s regular-season opener against the Kansas City Chiefs is just under six weeks away, so there’s still plenty of time for Jackson to ease his way back into Baltimore’s offense. Still, his absence has interrupted an otherwise business-like start to Ravens training camp.
Josh Johnson, a 38-year-old veteran who made his NFL debut in 2009, has been leading the first-team offense in Jackson’s absence. Johnson is the Ravens’ likely No. 2 quarterback after Tyler Huntley departed in free agency, signing with the Cleveland Browns. The Ravens also have Devin Leary, a rookie sixth-round pick out of Kentucky; and Emory Jones, an undrafted rookie free agent who finished his college career at the University of Cincinnati.
Free, daily NFL updates direct to your inbox.
Free, daily NFL updates direct to your inbox.
Sign Up
The offense has struggled mightily without Jackson on the field, but that’s not unexpected. Defenses are usually ahead of offenses at this time of year.
“It is what it is,” said Ravens starting center Tyler Linderbaum, a Pro Bowler last season. “You never know — throughout the course of the season — whatever is going to happen. … It’s always good to get work with other people, but we’ll be excited when Lamar is back, that’s for sure.”
(Photo: Nick Wass / Associated Press)
