Lamar Jackson was absent from the beginning of training camp due to illness. Then Baltimore coach John Harbaugh ended his press conference with a strong statement about his star quarterback.
After the Ravens’ first full-team practice of camp, Harbaugh spoke for over two minutes straight about Jackson and the team’s aspirations for the future. He made it clear that they envision Jackson becoming the greatest quarterback in NFL history.
“The vision we have is that Lamar Jackson will be recognized as the greatest quarterback to ever play in the NFL,” Harbaugh said.
“We believe this will happen through Lamar’s hard work, his incredible talent, our collective team effort, and by God’s grace and goodwill. I have full faith in this vision.”
Earlier, Harbaugh had discussed the team’s goals for the 2024 season: setting high standards and surpassing them.
Last season, the Ravens had an outstanding regular season, with Jackson winning his second MVP award.
However, Baltimore fell short in the AFC championship game against Kansas City, led by Patrick Mahomes, who is also in the conversation for the greatest quarterback of all time.
So Jackson still has critics who doubt him. “I see what’s said about Lamar, whether it’s on TV shows or clips on your phone,” Harbaugh said.
“Some people say great things about him, but there are also comments that make you scratch your head and wonder what they’re thinking. We take that personally.
“Lamar has been answering these kinds of questions his whole life, from junior high to high school, college, the draft, and now in the NFL despite his success.”
Harbaugh’s comments defended his quarterback while setting expectations for what Jackson needs to achieve for the Ravens to reach the Super Bowl.
“He’s always looking to improve. But what more does he need to prove to some people?” Harbaugh said.
“We’ve always believed in Lamar Jackson’s vision, starting from when he said he’d be a quarterback, and his mom supported him. We’ve embraced that. We built an offense around him in ‘19, and now we’re adapting it for ‘23 and ‘24, and beyond, around Lamar Jackson.”
Harbaugh mentioned that Jackson started feeling sick on Saturday. He didn’t give details on when Jackson would return to practice. Linebacker Asida Isaac (hamstring), defensive back T.J. Tampa (sports hernia), and running back Keaton Mitchell (knee) were also absent on Sunday.
The Ravens open their season against Kansas City on Sept. 5.
