It's no secret that the Baltimore Ravens go as Lamar Jackson goes. And ordinarily, that's not a bad thing. After all, Jackson has twice been named the NFL MVP, including last year, following a season in which Jackson threw for a career-best 3,678 yards, added another 821 yards on the ground, and contributed a combined 29 passing and rushing touchdowns. The issue here is, from the time Ravens veterans reported to training camp on July 20th, Jackson has been dealing with an illness that has kept him out of action.
However, as the Ravens took the field again on Saturday at the Under Armour Performance Center in Owings Mills, Maryland, their MVP quarterback was healthy enough to return to action.
“After batting illness the first week of camp, Ravens QB Lamar Jackson has returned to practice,” NFL insider Adam Schefter noted on Twitter on Saturday afternoon.
As for what this mystery illness is, well, it remains a mystery. Ravens head coach John Harbaugh addressed Jackson's absence only briefly on Friday, without specifying what it was that was hampering the dynamic dual-threat quarterback.
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“He’s fighting through an illness, working with our doctors,” Harbaugh shared with reporters (h/t Charean Williams of Pro Football Talk). “He’s doing all the tests, even more tests, to make sure we get everything covered. I’m confident he’ll be back pretty soon. It’s just [an] unpredictable deal. I mean, you guys have been sick before. You know sometimes it’s not easy. So, that’s what we’re dealing with.”
This was not the first time that Lamar Jackson attempted to practice with the rest of his Ravens teammates this week. However, when Jackson returned to the practice field on Wednesday, it was short-lived, as he practiced for only an hour before stepping away and allowing Josh Johnson to resume taking 1st team reps for Baltimore. Everyone in Baltimore hopes that Josh Johnson appearances are few and far between this season.
