Head Coach John Harbaugh said nobody is 100 percent this point in the NFL season and Lamar Jackson agreed.
"I'm 101 percent," he said with a smile Thursday.
It seems there is no concern with Jackson's back heading into Monday night's game against the Indianapolis Colts at M&T Bank Stadium. He's not even listed on the team's injury report.
Jackson missed two practices last week before the Ravens' trip to Denver, sounding alarms about his availability and effectiveness. Jackson responded with the second 300-yard passing game of his career.
"I would have practiced last week if my back wasn't hurting. The next day, our training staff wanted me to sit out for my back to not have any problems with me moving or anything like that," Jackson said.
Jackson only ran seven times in Denver, with Latavius Murray toting the rock a team-high 18 times. But Jackson said the condition of his back did not affect the gameplan.
"We see now that [missing practice] helped my back heal up faster. The soreness went away, and I was able to perform," he said.
While Jackson practicing Thursday is good news for Baltimore, the bad news is that left tackle Alejandro Villanueva is not back on the field. Villanueva suffered a knee injury against the Broncos and did not return, which meant veteran Andre Smith had to step in for his first game since 2019.
With Ronnie Stanley (ankle) still sidelined, the Ravens may need to call on Smith again if Villanueva isn't ready to go Monday night.
"We'll just have to see how that goes. It's not serious by any stretch, we just have to see," Harbaugh said of Villanueva's knee. "Sometimes, during the season, you just have to see how guys are feeling week to week, and it really becomes that."
Safety DeShon Elliott returned to practice on a limited basis after missing the Denver game with a quad injury. Elliott was sidelined during the Chiefs game in Week 2 by a concussion but came back the following week to play in Detroit before suffering the quad injury.
The other big return to monitor this week is that of first-round wide receiver Rashod Bateman and Miles Boykin. They both practiced throughout last week but were not activated from injured reserve to the 53-man roster. They'll have a chance to make their season debuts on Monday night.
"[Bateman] has to show that he's ready to play in a game," Harbaugh said. "It's a game, and he hasn't been out there for a while. So, we'll have to see that."
Safety Geno Stone (thigh) did not practice and outside linebacker Justin Houston and cornerback Jimmy Smith both got rest days.
For the Colts, Pro Bowl inside linebacker Darius Leonard (ankle), rookie first-round defensive end Kwity Paye (hamstring), starting right tackle Braden Smith (foot/thumb) and running back Nyheim Hines (shoulder) did not practice.
Starting safety Khari Willis (ankle/groin) and starting cornerback Rock Ya-Sin (ankle) were limited. Quarterback Carson Wentz (ankle) was a full participant.
