RAVENS QB LAMAR JACKSON MISSES FIRST DAY OF PRACTICE AT TRAINING CAMP WITH ILLNESS
Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson missed the team’s first day of practice at training camp on Sunday due to illness, head coach John Harbaugh informed reporters yesterday.
Harbaugh told reporters that Jackson began feeling sick around midday on Saturday. Jackson sat through meetings on Saturday and came in on Sunday before his condition grew worse. Harbaugh said Jackson tried to get his fluids in and treatment but was eventually sent home by medical staff. The two-time league MVP is expected to be back sometime next week after taking a few days’ rest.
The Ravens veterans reported to training camp on Saturday, July 20th, a week after the team’s rookies reported on July 13 and the team had its first full practice on Sunday, July 21st. Jackson, injured veterans and the rest of the quarterbacks reported on Monday, July 15th, two days after the rookies.
“It’s sickness,” said Harbaugh when asked about when he expects Jackson to be back at camp. “When he feels better, when he’s not sick anymore.”
CBS Sports’ Josina Anderson described Jackson’s illness as “pretty bad.”
One of the most scrutinized quarterbacks in the league, Jackson is often a topic of conversation amongst fans and the media and is usually on the receiving end of undeserved criticism, something that Ravens head coach John Harbaugh has always taken personally. Harbaugh told reporters that the team’s vision for Jackson is for him to become and be recognized as the greatest quarterback to ever play in the history of the NFL.
“I do flip through it, I read the stuff,” said Harbaugh. “I see the guys say what they say on the shows, at least I get clips of them because they come up on your phone… That’s okay, that’s part of the deal [with being an NFL quarterback].”
“And Lamar for whatever reason, there’s a lot of things said about Lamar but there’s a lot of stuff that’s said that you’ve just got to scratch your head about and kind of wonder, ‘What’s that person even thinking?’. We take it personally. Lamar is a guy [that] all his life has been answering those same questions.”
“In my opinion, the vision, the vision for Lamar Jackson… the vision that we have together is that Lamar Jackson is going to become and be known and be recognized as the greatest quarterback to ever play in the history of the National Football League. That’s the vision.”
Ravens’ backup quarterback Josh Johnson took the first team reps in Jackson’s absence and had a solid practice, catching the attention of some of his teammates, including fourth-year wide receiver Rashod Bateman.
“It’s definitely good to have Josh [out there],” said Bateman. “He’s an old-head out here so, he’s a good leader for us. He teaches us a lot when it comes to the game of football and he definitely leads us in the right direction. So, it’s good to have him out there.”
Ravens saw Pro Bowl cornerback Marlon Humphrey and All-Pro safety Kyle Hamilton return for the first day of practice on Sunday after the two missed some time during organized team activities and mandatory minicamp due to injuries. Humphrey has been struggling since last season with a nagging foot and calf injury while Hamilton has been doing rehabilitation work on his elbow after having UCL surgery this offseason.
“Having Marlon Humphrey at full speed and at his best would be massively beneficial,” said head coach John Harbaugh. “That’s what we expect him to be. He’s in great shape, you saw it today in practice, he looked great. He gives us some great versatility in the back end, moving guys around.”
“I would never discount Marlon Humphrey if I was an opponent. I believe in Marlon. I think he’s one of the best players, one of the very, very best corners in the National Football League.”
Harbaugh said that Hamilton is going to have a much bigger leadership role in 2024 going into his third year in the league, something that both he and the 2022 first-round pick had been having conversations about. Hamilton burst onto the scene in Mike Macdonald’s defense in 2023 and not only established himself as one of the most versatile defenders in the NFL but one of the best players at his position.
“How do you pick one thing with Kyle Hamilton?” said Harbaugh. “Because he’s kind of the complete package, that’s probably what stands out the most. The thing that he and I have been talking about from a vision standpoint, probably as much as anything, is him embracing his position as a respected leader on the team.”
“He’s in his third year, doesn’t seem like very long, he just got here. But he’s an established star player in the league and he’s most highly respected by everybody. He has already been growing into that leadership role and I think he’s going to blossom even more going forward.”
-Maher Abucheri
Twitter: @pabloikonyero
Photo: Maryland GovPics. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.