Ravens Will Ride 'Gus the Bus' In 2021 ... One Way or Another

Baltimore running back is a restricted free agent.

OWINGS MILLS, Md. — The Ravens plan to keep running back Gus Edwards with the team one way or another.

Baltimore has a big decision to make with Edwards because he is a restricted free agent, meaning he can test the market but the Ravens can match any offer or potentially acquire a draft pick if he departs. 

Baltimore general manager Eric DeCosta confirmed Edwards will either receive a tender or the team will try and reach a multi-year extension to keep him on the roster.

“Gus [Edwards] is going to be on the team, one way or the other," DeCosta said. "We’re going to certainly tender him if we don’t get a long-term deal done, but he is a Raven. He played his butt off this year, and he had a good season for us."

Edwards made $750,000 last season and could be in line for a significant raise. Edwards has an estimated market value of $10.5 million over three years or $3.5 million per season, according to Spotrac.com.

This past season, Edwards was third on the team with 723 yards on 144 carries with six touchdowns.

For the second-straight year, Baltimore had three players – Jackson (1,005), Dobbins (805) and Edwards – rush for over 700 yards each. The 2020 Ravens joined the 2019 Ravens and 2011 Panthers as the only teams ever with three 700-yard rushers in a season.

Overall, the Ravens finished 2020 with the NFL’s No. 1 ground attack with 191.9 yards per game. Baltimore's 3,071 total rushing yards stand as the third most in a 16-game NFL season.

Edwards also showed his versatility in the passing game late in the season and caught nine passes for 129 yards. 

"He can block, [and] he can run the ball well. He can do a lot of things, and that guy is a good player," fellow running back J,K. Dobbins said about Edwards.