Ravens running back Gus Edwards out for the season with a torn ACL
The Baltimore Ravens have confirmed that Gus Edwards will be out for the 2021 season due to a torn ACL suffered in Thursday’s practice, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
The Ravens’ running back room has been devastated the in the past month. They now have lost four of their running backs for the 2021 season in the past few weeks: J.K. Dobbins, Justice Hill, and now Gus Edwards.
Edwards was primed for a big role in the Ravens backfield this season after the loss of J.K. Dobbins.
In each of the past three seasons, Edwards has rushed for over 700 yards for the Ravens. For his entire NFL career, the former Miami and Rutgers product has rushed for 2,152 yards and 10 rushing touchdowns.
Marcus Peters torn ACL, too
The Ravens have had having some of the worst luck of any team in the National Football League because not only did they lose Edwards for the season, but they also lost starting defensive back Marcus Peters for the season as well.
Peters suffered a torn ACL in the same practice Thursday. The injuries to both players occurred on back to back plays, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
Le’Veon Bell and Devonta Freeman signings
The loss of Edwards now increases the importance of the recent signings of Le’Veon Bell and Devonta Freeman.
Baltimore’s running back room is now the following players: Le’Veon Bell (practice squad), Devonta Freeman (practice squad), Ty’Son Williams, and Trenton Cannon. The idea is that both Bell and Freeman will be promoted to the Ravens’ active roster at some point in the near future.
Bell signed to the practice squad, but will likely be on the active roster “when ready” as ESPN’s Schefter stated.
Bell returns to the AFC North after six seasons in Pittsburgh from 2013 to 2018.
Bell was heralded as one of the best at his position in his time in Pittsburgh. In his first five seasons, Bell recorded 5,336 rushing yards, 2,660 receiving yards and 42 total touchdowns from scrimmage. Bell was selected to three Pro Bowls and earned two First-Team All-Pro honors.
Then, in 2018, Bell held out the entire season over his contract. Bell played the entire 2017 season on a franchise tag and was looking for a contract that rivaled that of receivers, given his production in the pass and run game. Ultimately, the two parties never agreed to terms, and Bell signed a four-year $52.5 million deal with the New York Jets.
In less than two years into the contract, Bell was released by the Jets just two games into the 2020 season. Bell was later picked up by the Kansas City Chiefs.
Last year, Le’Veon Bell had just 254 rushing yards, 99 receiving yards and two touchdowns in nine regular-season games for the Kansas City Chiefs but made his first Super Bowl. Bell entered free agency after the season and publicly declared “I’ll never play for Andy Reid again… I’d retire first” in an Instagram comment.
Bell remained unsigned throughout this until the Ravens picked him up.
On3’s Tim Verghese also contributed to this report.