Ravens Safety Misses Practice Due to Flight Issue

Baltimore Ravens safety Eddie Jackson missed the team's latest practice, but not due to injury.

Dec 17, 2023; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Chicago Bears safety Eddie Jackson (4) catches the ball during warm ups before the game against the Cleveland Browns at Cleveland Browns Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Galvin-USA TODAY Sports / Scott Galvin-USA TODAY Sports

The Baltimore Ravens seem to be relatively healthy heading into the regular season, but a few key players were notably absent from Friday's practice.

Perhaps the most notable name in that group was one of the newest Ravens: safety Eddie Jackson. The former All-Pro's conspicous absence raised some eyebrows, especially considered he practiced without issue on Monday.

Fret not, though, as Jackson's absence had nothing to do with injury. Rather, it was just a matter of missing his flight back to Baltimore, as head coach John Harbaugh revealed.

"Eddie [Jackson] didn't make a flight," Harbaugh told reporters. "They had flights cancelled. That was his deal."

Good thing too, as the Ravens will need Jackson at full strength throughout the season. Baltimore signed the 30-year-old in July to add some much-needed depth behind stars Marcus Williams and Kyle Hamilton. Though he may not be the player he was in his 2018 All-Pro season, he'll still be a key piece of the defense both on and off the field.

Though Jackson has only been in Baltimore for a few weeks, he's already left a strong impression on his teammates. Rookie safety Beau Brade, who made the roster as an undrafted free agent, spoke of the impact Jackson and other veterans have had on him over the summer.

"We have a lot of veterans, and we have All-Pros – Eddie Jackson came in later on, and I just try to learn as much I can from those guys," Brade said Friday. "They've made a great career for themselves, and so I'm just trying to figure out how to do the same for myself."

"A lot of times, veteran guys or older guys that are in the same position might shy away from helping you, trying to help just themselves and help their chances of staying on the roster, but that hasn't been the case at all here. They've been helpful 100%, and [they've] just been trying to help me be the best that I can be."

The Ravens open the season against the Kansas City Chiefs on Thursday, and by all accounts, they'll have Jackson there with them.

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