NFL insider notes: Lamar Jackson's positive COVID-19 test could prove costly, and more from Ravens camp
CBSN
Jackson also tested positive last season; here's what it could mean for Baltimore
OWINGS MILLS, Maryland – The Ravens staff embraced the opportunity to evaluate their depth this summer with the NFL returning to a pre-COVID-19 style training camp and preseason template. But they did not anticipate doing so at the very start of camp, in such a high profile manner. Former MVP Lamar Jackson tested positive for COVID-19 prior to the first camp practice, coach John Harbaugh announced, becoming the second prominent contributor to this innovative offense to now be forced to miss an extended period of early work (joining running back Gus Edwards). Jackson, who has been negotiating a mega-contract extension with the Ravens this offseason, has declined to offer his vaccination status in the past, but Harbaugh indicated he has taken multiple tests in the past week – many of them negative – which, given the NFL's testing protocols, is indicative of a player who has not been vaccinated. Those players, when testing positive, are precluded from practicing for 10 days, which takes Baltimore up to the week of its first preseason game, Aug. 14 against New Orleans. Harbaugh and Jackson's teammates took the news in stride – the Ravens endured a sweeping COVID outbreak last season which also caused Jackson to miss time – and are trying to find the positives from this situation. But the reality is, for a team with Super Bowl aspirations, and one that largely shuffled its offensive line, including adding a new center after rampant snap issues in 2020, this is suboptimal. For any club in these times, let alone a team that continues seek ways to cultivate more explosion in the pass game, tweaking the scheme, vowing to have the QB under center more and overhauling the receiver group with Sammy Watkins in free agency and draft picks Rashod Bateman (first round) and Tylan Wallace (fourth round), the lost time to enhance chemistry and build timing through reps is hardly ideal.More Related News