Gus Edwards (American football)

Augustus Edwards (born 13 April 1995) is a Liberian American football running back for the Los Angeles Chargers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Miami (FL) before transferring to Rutgers and signed with the Ravens as an undrafted free agent in 2018. Edwards' nickname is "Gus the Bus"; he is known for his large size and "bruising" running style.

Early years
Edwards was born in Liberia during the First Liberian Civil War, which tore the country apart and killed many civilians. Gus moved to the United States at the age of five along with his family. He attended and played high school football at Tottenville High School.

Edwards was named as a three-star recruit by ESPN, 247Sports.com, Rivals.com, and Scout.com.

College career
Edwards played college football at the University of Miami from 2013–2016 and for the Rutgers Scarlet Knights in 2017 as a graduate transfer.

2018
Edwards signed with the Baltimore Ravens as an undrafted free agent on 4 May 2018. He was waived on 1 September 2018 and was signed to the practice squad the next day. He was promoted to the active roster on 13 October 2018. In Week 6 of the 2018 season, he made his professional debut in the 21–0 victory over the Tennessee Titans. He had 10 carries for 42 yards in the game. In a Week 11 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals, he recorded 17 carries for 115 yards and a touchdown.

Edwards joined elite company on 25 November 2018, when he recorded 23 carries for 118 yards in a 34–17 victory over the Oakland Raiders. He became the first Ravens' rookie running back to have back to back 100+ yard rushing games since Jamal Lewis in the 2000 season. He finished the season as the Ravens leading rusher with 718 rushing yards and two touchdowns. He finished fifth among all rookie running backs in rushing yards. In the Wild Card Round against the Los Angeles Chargers, he had 23 rushing yards in his playoff debut, a 23–17 loss.

2019
In Week 11 against the Houston Texans, Edwards rushed eight times for 112 yards and a touchdown in the 41–7 win. In Week 17 against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Edwards rushed 21 times for 130 yards during the 28–10 win. In the 2019 season, Edwards finished with 133 carries for 711 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns.

2020
Edwards signed a one-year exclusive-rights free agent tender with the Ravens on 28 July 2020.

In Week 13 against the Dallas Cowboys, Edwards rushed for 101 yards on seven carries during the 34–17 win. In Week 14, against the Cleveland Browns, he had seven carries for 49 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns in the 47–42 victory. In the 2020 season, Edwards played in all 16 games, of which he started six. He finished with 144 carries for 723 rushing yards and six rushing touchdowns to go along with nine receptions for 129 receiving yards.

2021
The Ravens placed a second-round restricted free agent tender on Edwards on 10 March 2021. He signed a two-year contract extension with the team worth $10 million on 7 June. On 9 September 2021, Edwards suffered a torn ACL during practice ending his season. He was put on injured reserve the following day.

2022
Edwards was placed on the reserve/PUP list to start the season on 23 August 2022. He was activated on 22 October. In his first game back, he scored two rushing touchdowns against the Browns in the 23–20 victory in Week 7. In the 2022 regular season, Edwards played in nine games and started four. He finished with 87 carries for 433 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns.

2023
Edwards started the year second on the depth chart behind J. K. Dobbins, but was swiftly made the lead back after Dobbins tore his Achilles in Week 1's 25–9 win over the Houston Texans. Edwards was used mostly in short yardage and goal-line situation but had numerous career highs by the end of the season. In Week 7 against the Detroit Lions, Edwards had a career-long 80-yard reception (which also gave him a career-high in receiving yards) along with 14 carries for 64 yards and a touchdown in a 38–6 blowout win. His best game came in Week 8, where he had 19 carries for 80 yards and a career-high three touchdowns along with two receptions for 14 yards in a 31–24 win over the Arizona Cardinals. In the next week, Edwards had five carries for 52 yards and two touchdowns in 37–3 rout of the Seattle Seahawks. In Week 11 against the Cincinnati Bengals, Edwards had 12 carries for 62 yards and two touchdowns along with two receptions for 8 yards in a 34–20 win. In Week 17 against the Miami Dolphins, Edwards' rushed for 68 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries in a 56-19 blowout win.

Edwards' finished the season with career-highs in carries (198), rushing yards (810), rushing touchdowns (13), receptions (12), and receiving yards (180). His 13 rushing touchdowns was the fifth highest of any player that season.

Los Angeles Chargers
On March 13, 2024, Edwards signed a two-year contract with the Los Angeles Chargers.