BALTIMORE — Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson, who returned to practice Saturday for the first time since contracting the coronavirus before the start of training camp, “got hit pretty hard with the symptoms,” coach John Harbaugh said.
Jackson, absent from the Ravens’ first eight camp practices, made his debut Saturday morning in Owings Mills and “looked really good,” Harbaugh said. Jackson was limited in his conditioning while in isolation because of his symptoms, Harbaugh said.
As part of NFL protocols for unvaccinated players, Jackson quarantined for 10 days before returning to the team facility Friday morning. He first contracted the virus in November, but was not among the approximately 90% of Ravens players who were fully vaccinated entering camp.
“COVID is tough,” Harbaugh said. “And he had symptoms. He had a lot of symptoms. I think it speaks to how well he took care of himself during that time and came out and practiced well.”
Unofficially, Jackson, who was not made available to reporters afterward, finished 4 for 10 in 11-on-11 action, 4 for 5 in seven-on-seven action and 3 for 4 in a half-field passing drill. His workload was limited compared to those in previous camps, but Harbaugh wasn’t concerned that Jackson would be behind in his grasp of the offense for long.
“I don’t think it’s going to be that hard for him,” Harbaugh said. “He’s already been through most of the offense. He already knows it. He’s played in games for a number of years. He’s been through this. There are some things that we put in that we’re working on that I think he’ll merge right in.”
