Lamar Jackson was not at Saturday's practice, but there's no need to worry about the MVP.
Jackson got the day off to rest his arm, said Assistant Head Coach/Pass Coordinator/Wide Receivers Coach David Culley.
"What he's getting right now is a day he normally gets," Culley said. "He's been throwing the ball beautifully all training camp and the arm gets a little tired every now and then. This is just part of the rest that he has gotten in previous camps."
Veteran safety Earl Thomas III also did not practice. Culley said it was an "organizational decision" that will be addressed by Head Coach John Harbaugh. Third-year safety DeShon Elliott stepped in next to Chuck Clark with the first-team defense. Cornerback Marcus Peters was also not at practice.
Without Jackson, the defense had a strong day. The unit was tough in passing drills, both 11-on-11 and 7-on-7, but the highlight was its work on the goal line when the unit stopped the offense on four straight plays.
Here are other highlights from practice:
- Rookie linebacker Malik Harrison showed off his downhill physicality during goal-line drills with two stops. He's a big guy at 6-foot-3, 247 pounds, and he fills the gap with authority. He thumped fellow rookie J.K. Dobbins on the goal line to stop him in his tracks. Harrison has also flashed strong pass coverage and got props from his defensive coaches for tight coverage in a one-on-one assignment on tight end Mark Andrews.
- Outside linebacker Jaylon Ferguson was in his second practice and made a nice play on a read-option play not buying the dive and chasing Robert Griffin III to the sideline before getting his hands up for a pass deflection.
- Clark made a fine play to knock a pass away intended for Andrews on a lobbed pass over the middle, drawing a lot of kudos from his teammates.
- Wide receiver Willie Snead IV continues to make deep plays and hauled in a long one on a pass from undrafted rookie Tyler Huntley. Snead does seem like he's faster and has more wiggle to shake defenders this year.
- With defense winning on the scoreboard, the offense was chomping at the bit to get a win in 11-on-11 drills. Harbaugh gave them the opportunity with another live shot from the goal-line, with Snead shouting encouragement for his teammates. Huntley kept it himself and ran in for a touchdown, igniting a big offensive celebration. They lined up a fourth-and-1 situation, this time from further away, and Trace McSorley ran for a touchdown along the right side.
