Lamar Jackson Missed Playoff Game: 'No One Does More' - Coach John Harbaugh
The NFL Combine is fully underway, and coaching staffs and scouting teams are all present to evaluate the next generation of talent for the league.
For Ravens head coach John Harbaugh and general manager Eric DeCosta, it seems to be just another opportunity to answer questions about quarterback Lamar Jackson and his ongoing contract negotiations.
While addressing the media separately, both brushed aside questions about Jackson not attending the Wild Card game vs. Cincinnati in January.
DeCosta successfully dodged the question completely, but Harbaugh addressed it when asked about his first impressions of Jackson during the pre-draft process.
“Nobody does more than Lamar,” Harbaugh said. “I promise you — to your other question back there, I didn’t mean to skip over it, but if he could’ve played, just like all four players, he would’ve played. There’s no question in my mind about that. And he would’ve played as soon as he was ready to play. You know? Hopefully it would’ve been the next week, I don’t know.
“Never doubt that about Lamar Jackson. He’s going to be out there. He’s going to be competing. He’s going to be giving everything he’s got in every situation.”
Jackson missed the final five games of the regular season and the one-and-done playoff contest for the Ravens with a knee injury.
Harbaugh was also asked if Jackson's absence in Cincinnati was any indication as to the type of leader he is - or isn't:
“I don’t think so,” Harbaugh said. “I think his focus was on getting himself back on the field. You talk all about that stuff, but he was thinking singularly about one thing — rehabbing, keeping the swelling out of his knee as much as he could. That’s all he was thinking about. That’s all he talked about.”
Baltimore and Jackson - who represents himself as his own agent - are very publicly engaged in negotiations for a long-term deal.
DeCosta said on Wednesday that he’s “hopeful” Baltimore won’t have to use the franchise tag on Jackson.
But it's looking more and more likely that's the route the team will need to go to keep the face of their franchise off the open market.
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