The Baltimore Ravens entered their 2026 OTA season with one of the most impressive offseason attendance records in the NFL, with nearly every player showing up daily.
But two practices in, one big name was missing: Lamar Jackson. Ravens insider Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic broke down exactly what’s going on, and while it may look familiar on the surface, the context tells a very different story.
The Honest Truth About Lamar’s Absence
GettyRavens Fans Get Key Lamar Jackson Update After OTA Absence
Zrebiec was blunt about the optics, but careful not to overreact. He acknowledged that the Ravens had praised Lamar’s commitment all offseason.
“The disappointment of it is he’s been in the building pretty much every day this offseason, and so has pretty much every other guy on this team. They’ve had just about everyone there. When you glorify and tout Lamar being in the building as much as he has, like a lot of us have, me included, you gotta say when he’s not.”
Zrebiec pointed out that Jackson has now missed both of the first two open OTA sessions, which is why it’s getting attention. But he was clear: the Ravens know exactly what’s going on.
“He’s communicated. They know exactly what he has going on. They know why he’s not in the building, and they know when he’s going to show up. That’s not been the case in recent years.”
That last line is the key. In past offseasons under Harbaugh, Jackson’s OTA absences were a genuine head-scratcher. This time, Lamar told new head coach Jesse Minter directly that he’d miss the first couple of OTAs due to a personal matter and gave him a return date. Minter confirmed it publicly, saying: “I know when he’s going to be back, and I’ll probably leave those between me and Lamar.”
Why Ravens Fans Shouldn’t Hit the Panic Button
GettyRavens Get Positive Lamar Jackson News Despite OTA Miss
Zrebiec made it crystal clear that this is not the same old story.
“Nothing about his activity level has called to mind the recent past where he’s kind of not been in the building barely at all in the offseason. He’s been there. He can’t be there this week for whatever he’s dealing with, but they know exactly when he’s going to be back. He’s been a man of his word in all the talks with Jesse Minter about his participation level.”
He also noted that Lamar wasn’t the only one absent. Rashad Bateman missed practice too, and several others including Teddy Buchanan were present but limited due to injuries. The bigger picture? Baltimore’s offseason attendance has been elite.
“Their attendance this offseason has been great. Every guy on there was at about 11 names, guys. All in all, I thought it was a pretty spirited practice today. You can definitely see a little Jesse Minter’s influence on this team already.”
As long as Jackson doesn’t go quiet for the rest of OTAs, Zrebiec sees no red flags, just a brief, explained absence from a quarterback who has otherwise been locked in all spring.
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