The Baltimore Ravens were ravished by injuries in 2021, and one of the position groups hit the hardest came in the secondary. Well, as the team turns the page on last year and squares its focus to the coming season, they are getting a pretty seismic boost following the first week of the preseason.
On Monday, the team announced that All-Pro cornerback Marcus Peters passed his physical and has been activated off of the physically unable to perform list. Peters made his debut during Baltimore's training camp practice Monday, marking a major step in his recovery from a torn ACL he suffered last year. Specifically, the 29-year-old suffered the tear on Sept. 9, just four days before the Ravens' regular season opener, and missed the entire 2021 campaign.
Less than a year later, he's back. Naturally, the team is expected to ease him back into practice as he shakes off rust.
Peters' injury was one of the main reasons Baltimore's secondary struggled last year, ranking 30th in the league in DVOA against the pass. Given that no corner has registered more interceptions than Peters (31) since he came into the league in 2015, this unit is set to get quite the boost. Baltimore is also getting back fellow starting corner Marlon Humphrey after he went down with a season-ending pectoral injury, so they should be in for a bounce-back as one of the NFL's top defenses.
Peters, a former first-round draft choice of the Chiefs, has enjoyed a decorated career that spans from Kansas City to Los Angeles (Rams) and Baltimore. He was acquired by the Ravens in a trade with the Rams in the midst of the 2019 season. In 24 games played for the club, he's totaled seven interceptions, 19 pass breakups and 52 tackles. In 2020, opposing quarterbacks completed 64% of their passes against Peters with a passer rating of 78.
The team also announced that second-year safety Ar'Darius Washington also passed his physical and returned to practice Monday.
