Ravens QB Lamar Jackson forced to miss another practice with illness

Baltimore Ravens superstar quarterback Lamar Jackson‘s bout with an illness isn’t over yet.

Jackson, the reigning NFL AP Most Valuable Player, missed Friday’s practice following a brief return in Wednesday’s session. He has now missed four of the team’s first five practices.

Head coach John Harbaugh isn’t alarmed though, underscoring that it’s a sickness his quarterback is just working through.

“I mean he’s fighting through an illness, working with our doctors, doing all of the tests, even more tests, to make sure we’ve got everything covered, and I’m confident he’ll be back pretty soon,” Harbaugh said. “It’s just unpredictable, I mean you guys have been sick before, and sometimes it’s not easy. So that’s what we’re dealing with.”

Jackson’s brief Wednesday return saw him leave mid-practice looking unlike himself and worse for the wear. It was clear Jackson wasn’t ready to return. Thus, he followed Thursday’s off-day with another individual absence.

“I think between Lamar and the doctors they figured that out, he just wasn’t feeling up to it in terms of all the different things,” Harbaugh said. “You’ve got hydration, there’s an energy level thing, it’s part of being sick.”

In 2023, Jackson, 27, threw for a career-high 3,678 yards that were complemented by 24 touchdown passes, just seven interceptions, 821 rushing yards and five ground scores. His MVP was the second of his six-year career as he piloted the Ravens to an AFC North title, the conference’s top seed and an appearance in the AFC Championship Game — their first since 2012.