Raven Country

Ravens Sit Lamar Jackson For Preseason Opener

The Baltimore Ravens' superstar quarterback will have to wait a bit longer to get back into game action.

Jon Alfano

Jul 27, 2024; Owings Mill , MD, USA; Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) lthrows during the afternoon session of training camp at the Under Armour Performance Center, Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
Jul 27, 2024; Owings Mill , MD, USA; Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) lthrows during the afternoon session of training camp at the Under Armour Performance Center, Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports / Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
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Baltimore Ravens star quarterback Lamar Jackson will not play in Friday's preseason opener against the Philadelphia Eagles, head coach John Harbaugh told reporters.

This news doesn't come as much of a surprise, as Jackson hasn't played in the preseason since 2021. Still, it's nice to have definitive confirmation that he won't be out there.

On Tuesday, Harbaugh stated that some starters will play during the preseason, but some others won't.

"Well, it's a case-by-case," Harbaugh told reporters. "Certain guys aren't going to play, and you can probably figure out who they are, and then we'll play all of the guys that need to play."

According to Giana Han of the Baltimore Banner, the starters will likely get playing time later in the preseason instead of the opener.

Jackson, 27, is coming off his second MVP season in 2023. It was easily the best passing season of his career, as he completed 67.2 percent of his passes for 3,678 yards, 24 touchdowns and seven interceptions. He was also still an effective runner with 821 yards and five touchdowns on the ground, but his rushing ability didn't dominate as much of his game as in prior seasons.

Given Jackson's injury struggles throughout his career, it's understandable that the Ravens want to be careful with him even if he was healthy last season.

With Jackson out, the starting job falls to journeyman Josh Johnson. Luckily, the 38-year-old has received plenty of first-team reps this offseason as Jackson has missed time, so he should be able to run the offense effectively.

"He's done a really good job," Harbaugh told reporters on July 26. I think he's got a great grasp of the offense. He handles it well, he operates it well, [and] he makes all the decisions. He's throwing the ball well; [he's] playing good football. That's why he's here. You think about the big picture and the long run, there's a real benefit of that – him getting a lot of reps."

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Jon Alfano
JON ALFANO

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