In his first media appearance since last season ended, Lamar Jackson explained why he wasn't at the Ravens' voluntary organized team activities.
It was Jackson's first time not attending Ravens OTAs in his career.
"I just wanted to stay away and just grind," Jackson said. "I just wanted to come back and see how I felt. I feel good."
Jackson said he asked some of his teammates how they would feel if he stayed home during OTAs.
"They were like, 'You know, it's cool,'" Jackson said. "You know, I want to get some chemistry. They tell me, 'I want to get some chemistry.' I'm like, 'Man, we're going to get that regardless when we get back.'"
Jackson said his previous offseason workouts with Rashod Bateman and James Proche II in California showed him that their chemistry was already strong.
"We were looking pretty good," Jackson said. "So I was like, 'Chemistry's going to be there when I get there for camp.'"
Jackson specifically said that his OTAs absence was not contract related.
He did look good in three days of Ravens minicamp practices. With added muscle and improved mechanics, Jackson was throwing with more zip on his passes and had many pretty connections with his receivers.
"Lamar's been here three days. That's all it's been. But it didn't feel like he had a lack of chemistry," Head Coach John Harbaugh said.
"Now there were things that he and I talked about on the field – communication things, cadence things, some of the new offensive stuff. That's not stuff he was here for and immersed himself in during OTAs. That's the only thing and that's something we can easily make up in training camp.
"But as far as the throwing, the catching, the targeting and all that, I was happy to see that. I was wondering about it, how he's going to look. To see it look that good, to see the shape he was in, how well he threw the ball, for a coach, that's exciting."
