After a brief return to practice on Wednesday, Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson was sidelined on Friday. While the sudden absence may alarm Ravens fans, head coach John Harbaugh doesn't think Jackson is facing a long-term issue.
The quarterback has been dealing with an illness that sent him home from practice earlier in the week. While Harbaugh admits it's a true battle, he's confident Jackson will return to the field sooner rather than later, via Jamison Hensley of ESPN.
“He's fighting through an illness, working with our doctors and doing even more tests to make sure we got everything covered,” Harbaugh said. “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.”
“He was just not feeling up to it in terms of all the different things,” Harbaugh said. “You got hydration and there's an energy level thing. It's part of being sick.”
Missing time this early into training camp won't hurt the Ravens too bad. While they won't be able to instill their full offensive scheme, it's better than Jackson making his return from a major injury. Even so, Baltimore will continue to closely monitor the situation and decide when best for the quarterback to make his return.
He'll have plenty of expectations when he does, as Lamar Jackson is the reigning MVP. He's won the award twice in his career, throwing for 15,887 yards and 125 touchdowns. He's added three-Pro bowl nominations, two All-Pro nods, 5,258 rushing yards and 29 scores on the ground.
Simply put, Jackson is the catalyst of Baltimore's success. The Ravens go as he goes. While an illness may not be viewed as the worst “injury,” the team is still going to be cautious. John Harbaugh and company are willing to look past a couple early training camp practices if it means Jackson is healthy in the long run.
Still, the Ravens are hoping Harbaugh's prediction comes true, Jackson soon gets past his illness and makes his grand, healthy return under center.
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