Sept. 9 (UPI) -- Baltimore Ravens running back Gus Edwards and starting cornerback Marcus Peters are expected to miss the entire 2021 season after both players suffered significant knee injuries during practice Thursday.
League sources told ESPN, NFL Media and USA Today Sports that Peters went down with a torn ACL first, and Edwards sustained a similar knee injury just a few plays later. Shortly after the injuries, Ravens head coach John Harbaugh called an end to the practice session.
With the Ravens set to open their regular-season schedule in four days, the team wasn't practicing in full pads Thursday.
Edwards is the third Ravens tailback to suffer a season-ending injury in the past 12 days. J.K. Dobbins tore his left ACL in Baltimore's preseason finale Aug. 28, and third-string running back Justice Hill injured his Achilles tendon Sept. 9.
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Ty'Son Williams, a practice squad player a year ago who doesn't have a single NFL carry, becomes the Ravens' lead running back after the injuries. Trenton Cannon currently is the only other tailback on Baltimore's roster, with Le'Veon Bell and Devonta Freeman on the practice squad.
"He jumped out right away last year in practices," Harbaugh said of Williams last week. "He just got better and better. So, what he is now is what he's worked hard to become, and now he goes from here. We'll see what he does. I think he's going to do really well."
Dobbins and Edwards recorded 1,528 combined rushing yards last season, which accounted for 81% of the output by Ravens running backs.
Peters, meanwhile, leads the NFL in interceptions (31) since he entered the league in 2015.
Anthony Averett, a fourth-round pick in the 2018 draft, is a candidate to replace Peters and start alongside Marlon Humphrey.
