Lamar Jackson, the Baltimore Ravens’ top quarterback, is among those who will miss the team’s preseason opener against the Tennessee Titans on August 11.
Baltimore coach John Harbaugh previously has said that he rejects the comment on whether Jackson will be available for the team’s preseason games.
“I think it’s possible to sort of extrapolate who will be playing and who won’t,” Harbor said.
It’s not the first time Jackson has been held out of preseason games though. According to reports, Jackson was also held out of the 2019 preseason. In addition, he tested positive for COVID-19 during the 2020 preseason, limiting him to only 10 snaps throughout the preseason last year.
Nonetheless, a week and a half of training camp have helped him become a more accurate passer. According to Greg Roman, the Ravens’ offensive coordinator, Jackson was performing well.
“He’s throwing it probably better than I’ve ever seen him throw it,” Roman said.
“He’s really worked hard in the offseason, and it’s showing, so he’s got to build on that. It’s really exciting,” he continued.
He also said that the team is “very excited” seeing his progress. “We’re all very excited about that. And now we’ve all got to get on the same page, so we can function as a unit and … take every ounce of that performance and maximize it,” he noted.
Moreover, he said that Jackson’s passing talent has a significant influence on the game, aside from the positive impact it has on Jackson’s own attacks and defenses.
Jackson has completed nearly 70 percent of his passes after a week and a half in camp.
Despite reports that his preparation would be advantageous for the next season, Lamar Jackson is still three preseason games, five weeks, and hundreds of training camp throws away from Week 1.
Jackson deals with critics
Jackson is now under fire for his contract discussions with the team, whose contract status is one of the most visible in the NFL.
It is reported that the Ravens are negotiating with Jackson, who is not represented by an agent, and if an agreement is not reached by March, Jackson will be forced to play under the franchise tag in 2023 with an uncertain future in Baltimore.
Jackson then responded to the critics by saying, “I guess this is what comes with it. When you’re trying to be great, when you’re trying to work your tail off, there’s going to be negativity.”
There were some complaints last month after Jackson was left out of the top ten quarterback rankings.
Bernard Pollard, a former Ravens safety, tweeted: “He’s definitely a Top 10 talent but as for a Top 10 QB, I don’t see it.”
The statement was then reacted to by Jackson, who claimed that he doesn’t even know him and has no impact to his team making it to the Super Bowl.
Despite Jackson’s absence, the Ravens will attempt to continue their historic winning streak, having surpassed the Green Bay Packers, coached by Vince Lombardi, by winning 20 consecutive preseason games. From 1959 to 1962, the Ravens won 19 consecutive preseason games.