Pittsburgh Steelers fans are up in arms about Cameron Heyward not showing up for OTAs. Meanwhile in Baltimore, the Ravens have spent most of their OTAs without QB Lamar Jackson and a number of other notable veterans. Jackson has reportedly only attended one OTA practice through the first two weeks thus far, with no public reason cited.
“It’s just this time of year; it’s a voluntary time,” head coach John Harbaugh said, via the team’s website, when asked about the situation and if he was disappointed by Jackson’s absence. “It’s really not something that we comment on. We can’t, and that’s just the time of year it is. So, I can’t speak for anybody that’s not here.”
Harbaugh added that he generally knows why most players who aren’t there are absent, though he didn’t specify Jackson’s case. He also stressed that players don’t have any obligation to let coaches know if they’re coming or why. OTA practices are strictly voluntary, but that doesn’t mean they are without value.
“I’m a coach, so you know my answer to that,” Harbaugh said when asked if he believes players can fall behind by missing OTAs. “We want to be going forward as fast as we can – no drag, making ground, getting better every day. One percent better today than yesterday, one percent better tomorrow than today, and it takes a lot of work to do that. So, as a coach, that’s what you’re always looking for.”
The one day Jackson did show up for OTAs, he looked rather different, having dropped significant weight. Already one of the smaller quarterbacks in the league, he seems to be leaning into his quickness. He previously tried to bulk up, but it didn’t help him avoid injuries.
For the second time in his career, Jackson earned the league MVP Award in 2023. He went 307-for-457 passing for 3,678 yards with 24 touchdowns to 7 interceptions. He also rushed for another 821 yards with 5 touchdowns.
The Ravens posted a 13-3 record with Jackson at quarterback, securing the AFC’s top seed. They advanced to the conference championship game, only to lose to the eventual Super Bowl-champion Kansas City Chiefs. I don’t know that him attending all OTA sessions is what they need to get over that hump. Still, Harbaugh likes to have his veterans around.
“We like to have our starters work against our starters a lot in these drills, because it’s not full contact, and they get a chance to really kind of challenge each other’s technique,” he said during the same press conference, though not talking specifically about Jackson.
The Ravens moved on from Tyler Huntley as their backup this offseason, now going with Josh Johnson. They also drafted Devin Leary in the sixth round out of Kentucky. Needless to say, neither pose a threat to Jackson’s starting job.
