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          NFL Nation

          Maryland governor: Ravens' Lamar Jackson should get vaccinated

          • Jamison Hensley, ESPN Staff WriterAug 3, 2021, 08:43 PM
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              Jamison Hensley is a reporter covering the Baltimore Ravens for ESPN. Jamison joined ESPN in 2011, covering the AFC North before focusing exclusively on the Ravens beginning in 2013. Jamison won the National Sports Media Association Maryland Sportswriter of the Year award in 2018, and he authored a book titled: Flying High: Stories of the Baltimore Ravens. He was the Ravens beat writer for the Baltimore Sun from 2000-2011.
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          OWINGS MILLS, Md. -- Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan weighed in on Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson testing positive for COVID-19.

          "Lamar's gotta get [vaccinated]," Hogan told WBAL Radio in Baltimore on Tuesday. "With the rules the NFL put down, I can't imagine a team wanting to forfeit a game or lose a chance at the playoffs and none of the players getting paid because someone won't get a vaccine.”

          This marks the second time in eight months that Jackson has tested positive for the coronavirus. He was infected with COVID-19 last Thanksgiving.

          Now, after testing positive on July 27, Jackson must quarantine for 10 days because he is unvaccinated, according to NFL rules. He is expected to return by the end of this week, although Ravens coach John Harbaugh indicated he didn’t know the exact date.

          "When he gets back, he’s going to be ready to play," Ravens center Bradley Bozeman said. "[I] don’t have any doubt about that. The guy, I know he’s studying his butt off; he’s going through the practice film; he’s taking his drops probably in his living room or wherever he’s doing it. The guy is going to be ready to play. He’s a competitor, and [we’re] just excited to get him back in a couple days and really get after it.”

          The Ravens had a player vaccination rate in the 90% range at the start of camp, Harbaugh said. Running back Gus Edwards is the only other Baltimore player who has been placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list this training camp.

          Jackson had tested negative for five straight days before a positive result on July 27, the day before Baltimore's first full-team training camp practice.

          In June, Jackson declined to answer whether he was vaccinated.

          "Well, just like everyone in society, it’s their decision –- keeping that to themselves,” Jackson said. "But I feel we do a great job here of taking the vaccine and staying away from COVID-19, following the right preparation for that and staying away from the outside -– the people that are attracting it -– and we’ve just got to keep it going. I haven’t been hearing about any breakouts, like last year -– the previous year before this one -– with all the stuff that was going on, people catching it left and right. I haven’t been hearing about it, so I feel like this year, it’s been doing great. Everyone has been doing a great job at it -– just keep going.”