The Ravens have spent most of the spring practicing without quarterback Lamar Jackson.
The reigning NFL MVP has not attended four of the team’s five voluntary organized team activities so far, Jamison Hensley of ESPN reports. Josh Johnson has taken the first-team reps in Jackson’s absence.
“It’s this time of year; it’s a voluntary time,” Ravens coach John Harbaugh said Thursday. “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.”
Jackson also missed the start of OTAs the past two offseasons. Last week, he skipped the first day of OTAs, attended the second and has skipped the past three.
Jackson was the only starter on the Ravens offense not present Tuesday, per Hensley.
Harbaugh did not indicate if he knows why Jackson is not regularly attending the voluntary offseason program.
“I pretty much know the different reasons guys aren’t here most of the time, but not always,” Harbaugh said. “Nobody’s required to tell you exactly what’s going on. So, I’m not really specifically going to be able to comment on anybody that way. But the guys that were here were great flying around, and those are the guys we had a great time coaching.”
Jackson is entering the second year of a five-year, $260 million contract he signed a year ago.
The Ravens have their final four OTA practices next week before wrapping up the offseason program with a mandatory minicamp June 11-13.
Harbaugh said he was uncertain whether Jackson would attend next week’s practices.
“It’s just not something I’m really able to comment on. So I don’t know. We’ll see what happens,” he said.
