Lamar Jackson is back.
After the Ravens quarterback missed four of the team’s first five practices with a prolonged illness, the two-time NFL Most Valuable Player returned to the field Saturday in Owings Mills. It was his first time practicing since a brief appearance Wednesday, when he left looking weary after about an hour and only a few repetitions.
Jackson became ill last Saturday on the eve of the start of training camp and was sent home the next day before practice. He’s been mostly absent since while being evaluated and receiving care from the Ravens’ medical team. Before Saturday’s practice, however, he posted a video from inside the team’s locker room on Instagram and later took the field.
“He’s fighting through an illness, working with our doctors, doing all the tests, even more tests, to make sure we have everything covered,” coach John Harbaugh said Friday, adding that he was confident Jackson would return pretty soon. Harbaugh is scheduled to speak to reporters again Saturday afternoon.
The Ravens had hoped the 27-year-old star quarterback would return to practice Friday but had to wait another day before he was able to return.
In the meantime, Josh Johnson, Baltimore’s 38-year-old backup, has been filling in with the first-team offense, with rookies Devin Leary and Emory Jones also getting reps.
Jackson is coming off a season in which he set career highs in passing yards and completion percentage while leading the Ravens to an NFL-best 13-4 regular-season record and an appearance in the AFC championship game. The start of the Ravens’ season is 40 days away, with Baltimore traveling to Kansas City to face the two-time defending Super Bowl champion Chiefs on Sept. 5 at Arrowhead Stadium in a rematch of last season’s conference title game.
This article will be updated.