Ravens' John Harbaugh Provides Update on Lamar Jackson

"He got his foot stepped on like w said yesterday," Harbaugh said. "They did a quick x-ray and there's no damage or anything like that. I'm sure it's a little sore today so we just kept him in but he's fine is going to be good."

Jackson left the practice field early with an athletic trainer on Wednesday after having his foot stepped on but despite senior vice president of communications Chad Steele saying that he was fine and didn't suffer an injury, social media was set ablaze with worrying and contradictory reports. There were some reporters who saw the eighth-year star signal caller dealing with some discomfort in his hand and wrist area while others concurred with the report about his foot being the affected area.

Harbaugh was among the countless supporters and fantasy football stake holders of Jackson who were praying for good news about the quarterback's heath over the past 24 hours and went on to say "prayers do get answered" while sharing the update.

Jackson is coming off the not only the best season of his already illustrious career but the most prolific season by a dual-threat player at his position in NFL history. He became the first player to ever throw for over 4,000 yards and rush for 900-plus yards in a single season. His passing touchdown-to-interception ratio of 10.25-1 after throwing 41 touchdowns to just four interceptions was the best in the league and his passer rating of 119.6 is fourth-highest single-season mark of all-time.

The Ravens made their biggest investment at the backup quarterback position in half a decade by bringing in veteran Cooper Rush, who is regarded as one of the best reserves in the NFL. However, all of the team's legitimate and very realistic hopes of finally getting over the hump and reaching the Super Bowl are tied to Jackson and his continued good health.

Not only is their slate of games to open the regular season a grueling gauntlet that features five playoff teams from last year, all of which were winners of their respective divisions, but four of their first six opponents are AFC foes. They can ill afford to fall behind the pack and need their star quarterback who is the focal point and engine of their offense firing on cylinders out of the gate.

Jackson wasn't the only All Pro who wasn't practicing on Thursday who Harbaugh provided an optimistic update about. Five-time Pro Bowl veteran fullback Patrick Ricard is dealing with a "soft tissue thing."

"We're just holding him out this week," Harbaugh said. "He should be back next week."

While he's not a perennial MVP candidate like his quarterback, Ricard plays a vital role in the Ravens' offense nonetheless as a blocker in their top-ranked rushing attack. He can often be seen leading the way and paving the way for many of the unit's biggest gains on the ground.