The Baltimore Ravens are waiting patiently on franchise quarterback Lamar Jackson showing up at 2024 training camp with a clean bill of health. Exactly when that will happen is “unpredictable,” but the latest update is good news for the Ravens after Jackson underwent medical tests.
That news comes from NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport after Jackson missed another practice on Friday, July 26, “my understanding is those tests that he had done, they came back negative.
Rapoport told his colleague Tom Pelissero how “tests coming back negative does mean this is likely gonna be over at some point soon. Lamar Jackson, described to me as having a ‘flu-like situation,’ so either flu or something similar to the flu, but the fact tests were negative is a positive.”
From The Insiders on @NFLNetwork: Tests have been negative for #Ravens QB Lamar Jackson, which is a positive as he deals with a flu-like situation.
The update from Rapoport came after Jackson had to leave practice on Wednesday, July 24. He had returned after missing the first two days of camp, but Jackson’s comeback lasted about an hour.
Head coach John Harbaugh explained on Friday how Jackson “was just not feeling up to it in terms of all the different things. You got hydration, and there’s an energy-level thing. It’s part of being sick,” per ESPN’s Jamison Hensley.
Harbaugh also revealed Jackson’s “fighting through an illness, working with our doctors and doing even more tests to make sure we got everything covered. 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.”
A positive outcome to those tests is the boost both Jackson and the Ravens needed. It’s a pivotal season for a team not wanting to waste a viable Super Bowl window, as well as for a two-time NFL MVP still needing to prove his critics wrong in the biggest moments.
Ravens Need Jackson at Full Go for Pivotal Season
While the wait for Jackson’s recovery is an anxious one, Harbaugh and the Ravens are right to proceed with caution. A pivotal season will hinge on the league’s premier dual-threat signal-caller staying healthy.
The Ravens only go as far as Jackson takes them, even though the latter still has things to prove. Things like showing he can deliver in clutch moments when the stakes are at their highest.
A mediocre 2-4 record in the playoffs opens Jackson up to criticism. Yet, some of his detractors have also focused on supposed limitations in his ability to play quarterback, doubts Harbaugh and the Ravens take personally.
The Ravens need Jackson, but being without him recently has allowed coaches to assess the quality of the supporting cast around the main man.
Ravens 2024 Camp So Far About Supporting Cast
Jackson is a walking big play waiting to happen at any moment, but No. 8 needs help. Specifically, from an offensive line being reshuffled after losing veterans Kevin Zeitler, John Simpson and Morgan Moses in free agency.
Competition for spots is wide open, but it’s mostly young and unproven players vying for reps. Youthful blockers like second-year pro Andrew Vorhees and rookie Roger Rosengarten.
They are battling to for the left guard spot, where “Vorhees is the front-runner,” according to Hensley. The latter also detailed how 24-year-old “Daniel Faalele has shown potential at right guard.”
Jackson and two-time NFL rushing champion Derrick Henry needs the best front five possible in front of them. These Jackson-less practices are the first substantial step toward finding the right balance in the trenches.
A group this inexperienced could use a veteran addition, but the new-look line won’t earn a true seal of approval until Jackson’s back and being kept upright.
