Lamar Jackson watch: Ravens QB won’t play in preseason game vs. Falcons, plus practice highlights

Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson will not play in Saturday’s preseason game against the Atlanta Falcons, coach John Harbaugh said Wednesday.

Jackson has not played in a preseason game since 2021, but he’s been a full participant in practice since missing the start of training camp last month with an illness. Harbaugh said the Ravens will determine whether other starters will play Saturday on a case-by-case basis, but he indicated the team would take the conservative approach it followed in Friday’s preseason opener against the Philadelphia Eagles.

With Jackson out, backup quarterback Josh Johnson is expected to start again for the Ravens, who have lost three straight preseason games. None of the offense’s projected starters at wide receiver, tight end or running back played in Friday’s game, in which Johnson went 4-for-12 for 62 yards. Rookie Devin Leary, who came on at halftime, finished 6-for-10 for 37 yards in the 16-13 loss.

Unofficially, Jackson finished 22-for-29 overall in team drills Wednesday, including 16-for-22 in 11-on-11 action and 6-for-7 in seven-on-seven action. Here’s how Jackson’s day as a passer unfolded, period by period, throw by throw, along with other notes from Wednesday’s practice.

11-on-11: 3-for-3

1. On a play-action bootleg, Jackson rolled out to his right and threw across his body to wide receiver Zay Flowers for about a 10-yard gain over the middle.

2. Jackson hit running back Justice Hill on a check-down.

3. Jackson rolled out again after a run fake and found wide receiver Tylan Wallace for a short gain.

11-on-11: 1-for-3, INT

4. Jackson looked for Rashod Bateman on a short pass play to the right sideline but threw behind the wide receiver, who was well covered by cornerback Brandon Stephens.

5. Safety Kyle Hamilton tipped a pass over the middle to himself before completing an impressive diving interception. It was the All-Pro’s second splashy play in coverage in as many days since returning from a minor leg injury. “It’s great to have him back playing great,” Harbaugh said. “I mean, what a resilient guy — what a leader, a leader by example, a leader by every way.”

6. Jackson connected on a pass to running back Owen Wright for minimal gain.

11-on-11: 2-for-3

7. Jackson hit tight end Isaiah Likely on a short pass near the right sideline.

8. Jackson settled for a check-down over the middle to Hill.

9. Facing a heavy blitz, Jackson sidearmed a throw to Likely as he ran up the seam, but the pass was off line and too high.

7-on-7: 3-for-3

10. Jackson found tight end Charlie Kolar for a short gain near the right sideline.

11. Jackson connected with Bateman on a back-shoulder pass about 25 yards down the left sideline. Bateman snapped off his route to separate from Stephens and create a comfortable catch window.

12. Jackson found Hill on a check-down, but a holding penalty on the defense wiped out the play.

13. Jackson floated a pass over the middle to Likely, who got behind the second level of defenders, including Hamilton, and made a catch with plenty of room to run.

7-on-7: 3-for-4

14. Jackson hit Kolar near the left sideline for a solid gain in front of safety Ar’Darius Washington.

15. Jackson threw a check-down to newly signed veteran running back John Kelly near the left sideline.

16. Jackson found Likely on a quick-hitting out-breaking route.

17. Jackson nearly had another pass over the middle intercepted, as inside linebacker Trenton Simpson watched a pass intended for wide receiver Anthony Miller go through his hands.

11-on-11: 4-for-4

18. Jackson hit Likely over the middle on another well-weighted pass.

19. Jackson went back to Likely, who separated easily from undrafted rookie inside linebacker Yvandy Rigby on an out-breaking route.

20. Jackson threw a deep shot down the left sideline to Miller, who’s made several big plays in his first week with the Ravens. Undrafted rookie safety Beau Brade was in coverage but seemed to make an effort to avoid contact with Miller, who settled underneath the underthrown pass for an off-balance grab.

21. Jackson targeted Brade again, this time finding Kolar on a corner route near the left sideline.

11-on-11: 3-for-5

22. Jackson misfired on a pass to Miller after an apparent miscommunication.

23. Jackson completed a check-down pass to Kolar over the middle.

24. Feeling pressure, Jackson went to Likely on a quick out.

25. Running back Owen Wright picked up a slot blitz, giving Jackson the time to line up a pass to Flowers, who beat cornerback Jalyn Armour-Davis on a deep out near the left sideline.

26. Jackson sidearmed a pass over the middle to Likely, who dropped the pass as he started to turn upfield. Bateman, who was running a route over the middle, might’ve disrupted Likely’s sight line.

27. Jackson launched a deep throw down the right sideline to Flowers. Undrafted rookie cornerback Bump Cooper Jr. was in tight coverage, but Flowers drew enough contact to earn a pass interference penalty.

11-on-11: 3-for-4

28. Jackson missed Hill on a swing pass to the right.

29. Jackson connected on a short pass to Flowers near the numbers, just beating a dive from inside linebacker Josh Ross.

30. Agholor won on an out-breaking route against Cooper, and Jackson found him for a gain of 10 to 15 yards.

31. Lineman Daniel Faalele allowed a pressure inside, forcing Jackson to scramble up the middle.

32. Jackson connected with wide receiver Keith Kirkwood for a nice gain down the right sideline. Armour-Davis was in coverage but, like Brade, didn’t attempt to make a play on the ball.

33. Brade intercepted a pass to Likely, but an offside penalty negated the turnover.

Attendance

Tight end Mark Andrews, who was involved in a car crash Wednesday morning on his way to the team’s facility in Owings Mills, missed practice. Andrews was not injured in the accident, but Harbaugh didn’t have a timetable for his return to action.

Center Tyler Linderbaum (soft-tissue injury), running back Rasheen Ali (stinger), wide receiver Russell Gage, inside linebacker Chris Board (concussion), cornerback Nate Wiggins (shoulder) and safety Sanoussi Kane (stinger) missed practice. Running back Keaton Mitchell (knee) and cornerback Arthur Maulet (knee) remain sidelined.

Gage and Wiggins worked with an athletic trainer on a practice field near the start of practice.

Stock report

• Outside linebacker David Ojabo had his second straight high-impact practice as a pass rusher. In 11-on-11 work, he had a strip-sack after knocking the ball out of Johnson’s hand mid-windup — about as close as defenders are allowed to get to quarterbacks in practice — and later drew a holding penalty.
• Undrafted rookie tight end Qadir Ismail and outside linebacker Tavius Robinson had a compelling blocking battle in their positional drills. Ismail won the first one-on-one rep against the well-built Robinson, who outweighs the converted wide receiver by at least 20 pounds, and earned praise from fullback Patrick Ricard for sending Robinson back to the line of scrimmage. But Robinson won the second rep easily, putting Ismail on his heels with a few powerful moves, including one that knocked Ismail’s helmet off his head. Ismail later connected with Leary for a long catch-and-run.
• Likely beat Washington, Hamilton and safety Daryl Worley with clean releases at the line of scrimmage in one-on-ones but left the drill with only one catch to show for his good work. A poorly timed throw cost him against Washington, and an underthrown ball allowed Hamilton to break up the pass.
• Presnap penalties were a problem for the offense. Linemen Tashawn Manning and Josh Jones were each punished with a lap around the field after jumping early on consecutive plays.