Getty Marcus Peters was a topic of conversation for a member of the Steelers.
Marcus Peters is a familiar foe to the Pittsburgh Steelers, and at least one Steelers star has the Baltimore Ravens‘ cornerback firmly in his sights.
Pittsburgh’s leading rusher in 2021 had only one name on his lips when asked who he’d like to run over on the field. The rookie running back was denied the chance to dominate a player he knows well after Peters tore his ACL last offseason.
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Steelers’ RB Sets Peters Target
Najee Harris was asked during an appearance on Sports Illustrated‘s Radio Row at Super Bowl LVI who he’d most like to “run over” on the field. After brief hesitation, Harris called out Peters’ name and quickly doubled down on his choice:
Najee Harris just put Marcus Peters (@marcuspeters) on NOTICE… 😳 #HereWeGo
The light-hearted tone of the exchange probably owes to Peters and Harris knowing each other well. They are both from Oakland, California, and Peters was invited to Harris’ pre-draft party in 2021, per Kevin Oestreicher of Ravens Wire.
As Oestreicher noted at the time, “Peters made sure to hammer the point home to Harris that they’d be seeing each other twice a year as opponents.”
Things didn’t play out that way, though, not once Peters went down with a season-ending injury last September. It meant he had to watch from the sidelines as Harris tried to stamp his authority on a rivalry that is still one of the most heated in the NFL.
The Ravens managed to keep the former Alabama standout quiet on the stat sheet. Harris averaged just 3.4 yards per carry when the two teams met in Pittsburgh in Week 13. The sledding was even tougher in the season’s final week, when Harris could only manage 28 yards on 11 rushes.
His numbers weren’t great, but Harris had the last laugh because the Steelers won both games. Their 20-19 triumph in Week 13 was followed by a 16-13 victory five weeks later that elevated Harris and the Steelers to the postseason and sent the Ravens home.
It was a bitter end to a tough season for the Ravens when Peters’ injury among many others, robbed this team of too many key players.
Peters’ Return Key to Ravens’ Revival
Having Peters back healthy will be key to a quick turnaround for the Ravens. His absence was keenly felt by a pass defense that allowed opponents to average eight yards per completion and score 31 touchdowns through the air.
It didn’t help that Peters’ fellow cornerback Marlon Humphrey also missed six games with a shoulder injury. Peters was the bigger miss, though, and his value was recently summed up by general manager Eric DeCosta, per Ravens.com Editor Sarah Ellison:
Eric DeCosta compared Marcus Peters to past FA signings like Michael McCrary, Anquan Boldin, Steve Smith and how they impacted the team.
“I love Marcus. I talk to him quite a bit. … He’s a Raven.”
Said his rehab is going “extremely well” and can’t wait to see him return.
Those words represent a strong and timely endorsement for a player who is 29 and coming off a serious injury. Peters is also carrying a hefty salary cap hit for 2022.
He’s set to be paid $10 million in base salary, the same as 25-year-old Humphrey, according to Spotrac.com. As the older member of the duo, Peters looks like a player the Ravens could move on to help create more cap space ahead of free agency and the 2022 NFL draft.
Yet, as ESPN’s Jamison Hensley noted, that’s not how DeCosta nor head coach John Harbaugh see Peters’ immediate future:
Ravens GM Eric DeCosta said he expects CB Marcus Peters to remain with the team.
Baltimore could create $10M in cap room by cutting Peters, but DeCosta and coach John Harbaugh both indicated this week that Peters is in the Ravens’ plans in 2022.
Having Peters back will be a huge boost for a team that lost established stars with alarming frequency in 2021. Aside from the starting cornerbacks, running backs J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards also went down. So did middle linebacker L.J. Fort, offensive tackle Ronnie Stanley and quarterback Lamar Jackson, among others.
A player with Peters’ skills and swagger will inspire an improvement this year. If he makes a play or two against the Steelers, count on Peters letting Harris know all about it.