Lamar Jackson is back – for real this time, he says.
After a strange illness that knocked Jackson out of Sunday's Week 11 game in Chicago, Jackson is back in meetings and back on the field for the Ravens, preparing to take on the Cleveland Browns on "Sunday Night Football" at M&T Bank Stadium.
"Feeling good!" Jackson said. "Feeling great this time. I'm back, feeling good. I'm positive. No relapses, man, we're good."
Jackson said he's "120%" sure that he'll be ready to face the Browns and that he doesn't expect any limitations in practice Wednesday.
Jackson was sent home for a couple days midway through last week. He returned Friday, went through a full practice, and said he felt great. Then the sickness struck again Saturday morning and still hadn't gone away by Sunday, forcing Tyler Huntley into action.
"I have no clue [what happened]," Jackson said. "I just got fatigued, was catching little chills, was out of it. … I was trying to rest, trying to recover and get all the way better and I'm just sweating in my sleep."
Jackson watched the game from the Soldier Field locker room with a big jacket wrapped around him. He said it was "very difficult" not being able to play and was "boiling" that he couldn't be there to help the offense, particularly coming off the Miami performance.
But when Huntley led a game-winning 72-yard touchdown drive, Jackson jumped out of his seat.
"When he did that last drive, I felt like I wasn't sick anymore. I was like, 'Let's go!' They were like, 'He's probably faking it or something.' I was pumped up. I already knew what he was capable of though. I played against him in high school twice and he's always been the same guy: hungry, wants to win, and wants to be a leader. That's just what he showed."
It's the third time that Jackson has gotten sick this season, not including his second bout with COVID-19 at the start of training camp. So many sick days perplexes him as much as everybody else.
"It happens, but I'm not worried about it," Jackson said. "I've been healthy all my life. I never had problems being ill at all till I'm here, so I don't really know what that is. Hopefully that's done with."
Asked whether COVID-19 could have lingered or left him more susceptible to other health complications, Jackson said he didn't know.
"I don't know, probably," Jackson said. "That's a good question though. I don't have an answer. You'd have to ask one of the trainers about that."
