It hasn’t been since 2021 that Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson played in a preseason game. Jackson will be a non-preseason participant once again this season.
A part of him misses the action. But he sees the bigger picture.
“I’m very competitive, so sometimes I do [say], ‘I want to go play,’ but at the same time I know why our coaches [are] keeping us off the field,” Jackson said. “And I’d rather just play [the] regular season then going out there and things happen.”
Sure, injuries can happen at any time. However, they seem to have a tougher sting if it comes during a preseason game where starters typically get little to no action.
Many NFL teams have learned to get the most out of players without trotting them onto the field during the preseason. That’s been the focus for the Ravens.
“It comes down to practice. Practice is what makes it; preseason games don’t make or break you that way,” Ravens head coach John Harbaugh said. “It’s the practices that makes you, because that’s what you stack. There are advantages to practicing; you see teams do it, like the Chiefs for instance, they’ve always done it. All the way back to Andy [Reid with the Eagles] in 1999, they’ve always done it. We had done it for a while, and we haven’t done it in the last few years. I think you can do it either way, and that’s the way we’re doing it this year.”
The energy and intensity during practice will be ramped up when the Ravens travel to Green Bay for joint sessions with the Packers. Jackson will be the focus of the joint practices along with Packers quarterback Jordan Love, who recently signed a four-year, $220 million contract extension that puts him in a tie for the highest-paid player per year in NFL history.
Jackson said he’s never met Love before but is looking forward to spending the week in Green Bay. He knows exactly what he’ll get out of it.
“Some competitiveness – just not going against my guys each and every day,” Jackson said.” [We] finally get to go against someone else. Especially [since] I’m not playing [in the] preseason, [it’s] just great to see how we are against other opponents.”
Jackson checked into camp weighing about 30 pounds lighter this year. He said he doesn’t feel as fatigued as he did last year when he reported to Owings Mills with a noticeable more bulky frame. He’s looking forward to showcasing the explosiveness that once made him one of the most dynamic playmakers in the game.
The joint practices will be the closest Jackson gets to a game this season. It will serve as a good litmus test for the starters like Jackson who don’t play in the preseason.
“Just seeing how my guys are against other opponents and not just going against the same guys over and over,” Jackson explained. “Because I believe our defense [learns] our tendencies and [learns] our moves just going repetition each and every day. So just going against [the Packers], we’ll see how guys are.”