Baltimore Ravens NFL News: Edwards Placed On PUP List, Harbaugh On Recoveries Of Stanley & Bowser, More
Gus Edwards On PUP List, Out At Least Four Games
The Baltimore Ravens will have to get by without standout running back Gus Edwards for at least the first four games of 2022.
Per Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic, the Ravens placed Edwards on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list. This means he will miss a minimum of four games and won’t return until Week 5 at the earliest.
Edwards missed the entire 2021 season after suffering a torn ACL in practice. The 27-year-old surpassed the 700-yard rushing mark in each of his first three seasons, and that’s no small feat with dual-threat running back Lamar Jackson leading the attack. Jackson surpassed 1,000 rushing yards in both the 2019 and 2020 seasons.
There was hope that mobile/online sports betting would launch in Maryland in time for the start of the 2022 NFL season, but it’s now likely several months away. Once sports betting goes live in The Old Line State, sportsbooks such as Caesars Maryland will be giving out special welcome bonuses to its customers.
The anticipated sign-up offer from Caesars Maryland is $1,250. The sportsbook also has a special rewards program where you’ll earn “Tier Credits” for every $5 you bet.
Baltimore will open their 2022 season on the road against the New York Jets (1:00 p.m. EST). They’ll head home for a Week 2 showdown against Tua Tagovailoa’s Miami Dolphins before visiting the New England Patriots for an early afternoon game a week later.
The Ravens will return home for a showdown with the Super Bowl favorite Buffalo Bills in Week 4 before welcoming Joe Burrow’s Cincinnati Bengals in Week 5. The showdown with Cincy is the earliest Edwards would be able to return.
John Harbaugh Comments On Ronnie Stanley & Tyus Bowser Recoveries
The Ravens were ravaged by injuries last season, and they could still be without several key players for the Week 1 tilt against the Jets.
All-Pro offensive tackle Ronnie Stanley played just one game last season, and he continues to recover from ankle surgery. Standout linebacker Tyus Bowser is still recovering from a torn Achilles, and it’s unclear if either star will be ready for Week 1.
Ravens head coach John Harbaugh discussed the recoveries of both players, per Kevin Oestreicher of Ravens Wire.
“Yes, I’m going to say that I’d like to see them out there for three weeks. Now, is that going to be possible for Week One? Will they be ready? Will that be enough? Ronnie and Tyus have both gone really hard with the conditioning. I watched Ronnie out here before practice with the trainer. He looks like he’s in really good shape, and Tyus looks like he’s in really good shape.
“So, could you speed it up a little bit if they look really great at practice? You probably could. We’ll just have to see how it goes, and see how they feel. A lot of it is how the player feels at that point.”
The Ravens traded fellow star offensive tackle Orlando Brown Jr. to the Kansas City Chiefs in 2021. With Stanley playing just one game last year, the Baltimore o-line predictably struggled from a pass-blocking standpoint.
Baltimore drafted Iowa center Tyler Linderbaum in round one, and they picked up former New York Jets OT Morgan Moses in free agency. Throw in Stanley’s looming return, and it’s safe to say that Jackson will experience more valuable pass protection.
Bowser recorded seven sacks (a career-high) and four pass defenses last season. He’s an integral part of Baltimore’s blitz-happy defense, and Harbaugh and company can only hope that he’ll be ready sooner rather than later.
Steelers’ Cameron Heyward Says Lamar Jackson Is “A Superstar”, Tells Ravens To Pay Him
Pittsburgh Steelers defensive tackle Cameron Heyward has some good things to say about the star quarterback of the archenemy team.
On a recent edition of his “Not Just Football” podcast (h/t Matthew Marczi of Steelers Depot), Heyward explained why he views Jackson as “a superstar.” Heyward also warned the AFC North rival club to pay the 2019 league MVP, who’s entering the final season of his rookie contract.
“Yes, he’s a superstar,” Heyward said. “He is the guy that’s already won an MVP at such a young age. And why are we hating? Like, the dude is about to get paid. They better pay him. If they don’t pay him, they’re stupid.”
Jackson missed five games last season, including Baltimore’s final four contests. They finished 8-9 and failed to qualify for the postseason for the first time since 2017.
The 25-year-old holds a remarkable 37-12 regular season record as a starting quarterback. That stat alone shows just how valuable Jackson is to the Ravens, and they likely would’ve made the playoffs a year ago if he didn’t miss any time.
Jackson owns a 64.1 completion percentage and 9,967 passing yards with 84 touchdowns and just 31 interceptions. If he didn’t miss any action last year, Jackson would have surely recorded a third consecutive 1,000 rushing yard season.
Heyward’s Steelers and Jackson’s Ravens will square off for the first of two 2022 regular season meetings in Pittsburgh in Week 14 (1:00 p.m. EST).
