Gus Edwards will not be playing under John Harbaugh in 2024 for the first time in his career, but he will be working alongside his brother Jim in Los Angeles. The veteran running back has agreed to a two-year deal with the Chargers, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports.
Edwards started with the Ravens as one of their usual finds in the undrafted free agent market. He benefitted from injuries to starting quarterback Joe Flacco and the late Alex Collins. With Flacco injured, the Ravens turned to then-rookie Lamar Jackson. Without a full offseason to mold the offense into what it would eventually become under Jackson, Baltimore resorted to lots of read-option plays in which the big, bruising “Gus the Bus” would either rumble forward for an average of 5.2 yards per carry or allow Jackson to run it himself.
After earning the team’s trust over longer-tenured backups like Kenneth Dixon and Javorius Allen, Edwards found himself returning each year alongside Jackson. Though he was never considered a premier back, often serving as a second, short-distance option behind Mark Ingram and J.K. Dobbins, Edwards routinely got his due. The only time Edwards rushed for fewer than 711 yards was when he missed half the year in 2022 with injury. In a contract year with Baltimore in 2023, Edwards delivered career numbers, scoring 13 times with 810 rushing yards.
Baltimore has been expecting the exit. They are currently only set to return Justice Hill and Keaton Mitchell, so running back has been noted as a high priority for them this offseason. Many high-profile free agents are coming off the board, but Derrick Henry looms large, and the team could always choose to bring back Dobbins. If not, the draft should provide plenty of talented options to pair with Hill and the electric Mitchell.
In Los Angeles, Edwards may finally get his opportunity to be a main starter. He reunites with former Ravens offensive coordinator Greg Roman, who should have quite a bit of trust in the bruising back. With Austin Ekeler headed to Washington and Joshua Kelley also a free agent, Edwards seems to be the guy in the Chargers run game. The team should return young backups like Isaiah Spiller and Elijah Dotson, but they’re likely to remain backups. Depending on how the Chargers view Spiller and Dotson as secondary options, it may make sense for Los Angeles to continue and monitor the draft and free agency for additional supplements to the position.
Ely Allen contributed to this post.
Harbaugh Swap!
Gotta be a cheap deal with the cap situation. I’m curious to see what Ekeler ends up signing for
They are 120 million under cap next year so it’s really not a cap issue, just have to restructure contracts. They’ve a lot of free agents and a new regime I’m sure the chargers are going to get a shakeup probably keeping allen. But they don’t have to completely blow it up
Also could resign Austin and go with a tandem probably losing Kelley
Chargers are looking to purge their older veterans — Keenan Allen, Joey Bosa, Austin Ekeler, Khalil Mack, Mike Williams.
@chucky most likely your correct, but they can get under the cap without it would give them more leverage on a trade if they do. Probably keeping allen, and bosa for a year otherwise they will have too many holes to fill.
As a Steelers fan, I’m glad to see him go west
Yep, hand me downs from your brother.