OWINGS MILLS, Md. — Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson didn’t practice Thursday, marking the first time in his three-year career that he has missed back-to-back practices in the regular season.
Jackson, the reigning NFL MVP, is dealing with a knee injury heading into Sunday’s game against the Cincinnati Bengals. A source told ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Wednesday that it is not considered serious.
“It kind of falls into the ‘It is what it is’ category,” Ravens offensive coordinator Greg Roman said before Thursday’s practice. “It’s just part of life of what we do. That’s just how it goes and you make the best of it.”
Roman declined to address Jackson’s injury, deferring to coach John Harbaugh, who does not speak on Thursdays. This is only the fourth regular-season practice that Jackson has missed since taking over as Baltimore’s starter midway through the 2018 season.
Jackson is 3-0 against the Bengals as a starter, completing 71 percent of his passes while throwing three touchdowns and one interception (106.5 passer rating). He has run for 336 yards against Cincinnati, his most against any single team. But Jackson could be limited Sunday with the injury.
“It’s something we certainly don’t read too much into,” Bengals coach Zac Taylor said of Jackson not practicing. “Those guys are usually pretty dialed in at that position.”
With Jackson not practicing, Robert Griffin III has taken reps with the first-team offense. He has made one start for Baltimore, leading the Ravens to a 28-10 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 2019 season finale, when Baltimore had already wrapped up the No. 1 seed. Griffin completed 11-of-21 passes for 96 yards and one interception.
“We certainly want everybody out there,” Roman said. “But you have to figure some things out sometimes.”