Lamar Jackson Defends Illness Record With Ravens

GettyLamar Jackson doesn’t think an unwanted record during his Ravens career is a problem.

He doesn’t know why he’s been ill so often since joining the Baltimore Ravens, but Lamar Jackson is willing to put it down to random bad luck. The franchise quarterback isn’t worried he has a chronic problem.

Jackson addressed the issue of his illness record following a recent absence from training camp that prompted medical tests. Speaking to reporters after returning to camp on Monday, July 29, the two-time NFL MVP said, “at Louisville, I never got sick. I never was sick, but it comes and goes,” per ESPN’s Jamison Hensley.

As Hensley noted, “Jackson has missed at least one practice because he was sick in each season since being drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in 2018. He has been sidelined a total of 12 practices with non-COVID-related illnesses, including four in the first week of this year’s training camp.”

Yet, “Jackson said he doesn’t think it’s a chronic condition.” Instead, the 27-year-old talked in more fatalistic terms: “You really never know when the bug hits you, but I got hit with a bug. I’m good now.”

Jackson’s assurance he’s “good now” is fantastic news for a Ravens team still tethered to the health and performances of the league’s premier dual-threat signal-caller. It’s a power dynamic that magnifies the significance of Jackson’s every ailment, either injury or illness, however slight.

Lamar Jackson’s Illness Streak Hasn’t Really Hurt the Ravens

Hensley outlined a comprehensive timeline of Jackson’s illnesses during his career with the Ravens. The conclusion is interesting because it turns out Jackson’s bouts of being unwell haven’t truly harmed his team.

From his rookie year onwards, “Jackson’s first significant illness with the Ravens dates back to when he was preparing for his first NFL start. Midway through the 2018 season, Jackson was hospitalized for stomach pains three days before he replaced an injured Joe Flacco. After being cleared, Jackson led Baltimore to a 24-21 win over the Cincinnati Bengals, becoming the first quarterback in the Super Bowl era to rush for 100 yards in his first career start,” according to Hensley.

Practice soon became the most common victim of Jackson’s non-injury related absences. He “went on to miss one practice with illness in 2019 and one in 2020. He was out for three practices in 2021 because he was sick. Then, illness forced him to sit out one practice in 2022 and one in 2023.”

Jackson’s only missed action of any import due to illness was a Week 11 clash with the Chicago Bears from the 2021 season, per Hensley. It was a game the Ravens won 16-13 on the road, thanks in no small part to Jackson’s backup Tyler Huntley throwing for 219 yards.

Jackson’s usually been full go once the games that count begin. The only notable exceptions haven’t been enforced by illness, but more by impact injuries.

Impact Injuries Have Been More Costly Than Illness for Ravens

When the Ravens have been forced to count the cost of Jackson being sidelined, ankle and knee injuries have been to blame. It was an ankle problem that laid Jackson low for the final four games of the 2021 campaign, prompting a damaging 0-4 run that denied the Ravens a spot in the playoffs.

Jackson was watching on again during the business end of the 2022 season. He nursed a knee sprain while the Ravens backed into the postseason, only to lose at the first hurdle to AFC North rivals the Cincinnati Bengals.

Those two dismal sequences summed up how much the Ravens are dependent on Jackson. Their fortunes without him make for miserable reading, per Warren Sharp of Sharp Football Analysis.

since drafting Lamar Jackson, the Ravens have won 8 of 22 games without him (36%)…

and are 46-19 with him (71%)

— Warren Sharp (@SharpFootball) January 16, 2023

Add in last season’s dead rubber from Week 18 against the Pittsburgh Steelers, when Jackson and other starters were rested, leading to a 17-10 defeat, and the Ravens have barely been average without their QB1.

The numbers show why the Ravens must do all they can to keep Jackson fully healthy. It’s the only way this iteration of the franchise can win a Super Bowl, which is the only way for Jackson to finally quiet his critics.