OWINGS MILLS, Md. — In Lamar Jackson‘s seven seasons, illness has slowed down the two-time NFL Most Valuable Player more often than most NFL defenses have.
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.
After Monday’s practice, which was his second full session of camp, Jackson was asked why he gets sick so frequently.
“Man, I’ll be thinking that sometimes because, at Louisville, I never got sick,” Jackson said in his first media session of training camp. “I never was sick, but it comes and goes.”
Jackson said he doesn’t think it’s a chronic condition.
“You really never know when the bug hits you, but I got hit with a bug,” Jackson said. “I’m good now.”
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.
Jackson 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.
But Jackson has only missed one game — a win by Baltimore in Chicago in November 2021 — because of illness.
Asked if the Ravens are concerned this could be a chronic condition for Jackson, coach John Harbaugh said every player gets a physical every year.
“Lamar gets tested … all of our guys get tested thoroughly, especially when you’re sick,” Harbaugh said. “So, they look at every possibility.”
When Jackson is healthy, he has been one of the top playmakers in the NFL. He has been named NFL MVP twice in his first six seasons, which is tied for the third-fastest to do so.
Asked if winning a Super bowl is the last box to check for his career, Jackson said: “It’s been the first checkbox for me since 2018. I said that April 26th, whenever I was drafted, I said that, and I meant that. That’s the highest level of this game we play. So, you got to go out a champion. That’s what I want, to be labeled as a champion — not just MVP here and there. I want to be a champion.”
