Lamar Jackson On Return To Ravens: 'I'm Back!'

Lamar Jackson hasn't played since Dec. 4 when the Baltimore Ravens played the Denver Broncos.

When Lamar Jackson takes the field for the first time on Sunday, it'll be the first time he's done so in 280 days. 

With his return just days away, Jackson is anxious and ready to prove he's as good as he's ever been.

"I haven't played since December," Jackson said. "It's a long time. I'm just pumped. I'm ready to get out on the field. I don't want to watch it, I don't like being hurt...I'm back, feel like I'm better, [I'm] 100 percent, so I'm ready to show up. 

Jackson hasn't played since Dec. 4, when he exited the game early with a knee injury in the Baltimore Ravens' 10-9 win over the Denver Broncos. The sixth-year quarterback consequently missed the final five games of the season for a second straight year. 

The offseason brought upon plenty of question marks and speculation. From getting franchise-tagged to requesting a trade, Jackson and the Ravens found themselves in the headlines for most of the spring before agreeing to a record-breaking five-year $260 million contract on May 4. 

Now the questions are about how he'll function in a new offense under the Ravens' first-year offensive coordinator Todd Monken.

"I feel great," Jackson said of playing in Monken's offense. "Just the explosiveness, getting the ball out of my hand faster, getting guys open, [I] just can't wait to see it."

Ravens head coach John Harbaugh noted how pivotal the relationship between Jackson and Monken is to the team's success and how close they've become over the offseason. With the new offense, Harbaugh also noted it's likely Baltimore will throw the ball more. 

"They get along great," Harbaugh said. "They've got to be like that [fingers crossed]. They are like that. They talk a lot, and we'll see what happens."

Harbaugh added: "By virtue of the personality of the team, it's a pretty fair assumption that we're going to throw the ball more. No question about that."

Jackson has been at his best in Week 1 since becoming Baltimore's starting quarterback late in 2018. Across four starts in Week 1, Jackson has completed 74 of 109 passes for 1,047 yards, 12 touchdowns and thrown only one interception.

With a new contract in two, a new offense and new weapons around him, Jackson will look to keep his streak of great performances in the Ravens' season-opener going. 

Baltimore begins its season on Sunday at M&T Bank Stadium against the Houston Texans at 1 p.m. ET.