The Ravens have their ball hawk back as cornerback Marcus Peters passed his physical and made his debut at training camp practice Monday.
As is customary for players returning from injuries, Peters only went through individual drills as he works his way back into practice. Peters has almost a full month to knock off rust and get into football shape before Week 1 in New York on Sept. 11.
"They've got a plan for that. It's not a matter of how far along guys are," Head Coach John Harbaugh said. "Marcus is in a good place. [He] came back from PUP [physically unable to perform], did individual today. That was good."
Peters suffered a torn ACL in practice on Sept. 9 last year, just four days before the team's regular-season opener, forcing him to miss the entire season. It was the first time in Peters' career that he missed extensive time. He had only sat out five games in his previous six seasons.
Peters said earlier this offseason that he would be fully recuperated by June or July, but the Ravens have taken a cautious approach to getting their stars back on the field.
"That's a pleasant surprise, because when you asked him about it, he was kind of just like, 'When I'm ready, I'm ready. I'll let you know. But, I'm not going to try to put a date on it, I'm just going to let my body talk to me,'" veteran defensive tackle Calais Campbell said. "So, it was good to see that he's improving and making the strides to be ready to go out there and help us compete. This team is very, very talented, and we just got a whole lot better with him on the field."
No player in the league has more interceptions than Peters (31) since he entered the NFL in 2015. The three-time Pro Bowler will now join forces with Marlon Humphrey, who has also returned from a season-ending (pectoral) injury, to give Baltimore one of the top cornerback duos. Peters also brings intangibles to the Ravens secondary that were missed last season.
"It boosts the energy a lot," rookie cornerback Pepe Williams said. "'MP', he is a vet, big dog, basically. He's been making a lot of plays in the NFL. Being a rookie, I look up to the great guys that make plays. 'Marlo' [Marlon Humphrey], 'MP', all of the guys that are around us. So, it was cool having him back and seeing him move around."
Second-year safety Ar'Darius Washington also passed his physical Monday and returned to practice. Washington played in three games last year and made one tackle before breaking his foot midway through the season. He's part of a deep safety competition.
