Lamar Jackson returned to practice Wednesday after missing the first three days of training camp due to illness, but it was short-lived.
He practiced for about an hour before leaving the field and walking inside with athletic trainers. Offensive Coordinator Todd Monken said Jackson participated in meetings earlier in the day and was glad to see the franchise quarterback getting back into the swing.
"It's great having him there," Monken said. "I'm not tied into where he is (physically) at this moment, but it was great to have in back in meetings and on the field. You'll have to ask coach (John Harbaugh) and the medical staff (about Jackson's health)."
Monken said the offense had not fallen behind due to Jackson's absence. Josh Johnson, Devin Leary, and Emory Jones shared reps at quarterback while Jackson was out.
"We had all offseason, Lamar was a part of that," Monken said. "It was great for the other quarterbacks to get the work. I don't feel behind. We didn't stop. We still installed, we're still going through the install.
"In the meetings (Jackson) was great, and we're going to work him back in for sure. You'll have to ask him how he feels, but he was great in the meetings and when he was on the field at the start, he said he was feeling good."
Nate Wiggins' Competitiveness Is Leaving a Strong Impression
Rookie cornerback Nate Wiggins has made it tough to complete passes thrown in his direction, carrying his strong play from the spring into the summer.
Assistant Head Coach/Pass Game Coordinator Chris Hewitt already knew about Wiggins' speed and athletic ability. But Hewitt is learning more about Wiggins' competitive spirit, which is helping him play with confidence.
At age 20, Wiggins is the youngest player on Baltimore's roster but he's not playing as if he lacks experience.
"He is extremely competitive, more competitive than I thought he was," Hewitt said. "He's got the whole mentality. Remember, this guy's only 20 years old. He's not even old enough to drink yet. He's still learning how to be in the NFL, but his competitiveness is the thing that really sticks out to me."
Three-time Pro Bowl cornerback Marlon Humphrey has given Wiggins a nickname – "Nasty Nate."
Hewitt wasn't feeling that.
"His name is Deuce. He's No. 2," Hewitt said. "We're not calling him Nasty Nate."
Hewitt Calls Kyle Hamilton a 'Generational-Type Player'
Coaches continue to rave about the play of Kyle Hamilton, who became an All-Pro safety in his second season.
Defensive Coordinator Zach Orr believes Hamilton has the potential to become a Defensive Player of the Year. Hewitt believes Hamilton's skillset is so unique, there may not be another safety during his career who's able to impact games in as many ways.
"I think Kyle is a unicorn, one-of-one," Hewitt said. "He's like a generational type player. You don't see many guys who's 6-foot-4 who can run and change direction the way he does and still play with violence.
"He's not a finesse player. He's got it all. He's very unique. There's not many players in the league, or coming into the league that I see that look like that."
Chris Horton Believes New Kickoff Rules Will Suit Deonte Harty
Deonte Harty has averaged 25.2 yards per kickoff return during his five-year career. Special Teams Coordinator Chris Horton thinks the new kickoff rules will create more opportunities for Harty to make explosive plays as Baltimore's new returner.
"Deonte is a special player, he's here for a reason, he's here because of his pedigree and what he's done in this league," Harty said. "This play fits him well. It's a lot of space."
Horton said the Ravens are still strategizing on how to take full advantage of the new kickoff rules.
"I wouldn't say right now that we have the strategy in place," Horton said. "I don't know that anyone can really say that after a spring of football. But, as we go through this thing, we'll start to come up with ideas. And we'll see what works, what can we truly do when the pads are on, with blocking and angles and things like that.
"We have a pretty good idea of what we're going to do, but, if we're going to do it, then we need to practice these things against other opponents."
