The Los Angeles Rams made a splash at the trade deadline when they dealt cornerback Marcus Peters to the Baltimore Ravens in exchange for linebacker Kenny Young and a 2020 fifth-round selection.
The move helped kick off a number of significant changes for the Rams as they subsequently traded cornerback Aqib Talib to the Miami Dolphins in order to shore up enough assets to acquire cornerback Jalen Ramsey from the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Peters wasted no time in making his presence felt in Baltimore since his arrival. Regardless, it would be understandable if there were some hard feelings.
With the Ravens getting set to take on the Rams in Los Angeles on Monday Night Football in Week 12, Peters did what he could to downplay any notion of bad blood, via Gary Klein of the L.A. Times:
Asked whether being traded by the Rams surprised him, Peters said: “That’s done for me. I’ve been here for four [now five] weeks. Just trying to play football.”
The former two-time Pro Bowler admits he is happy that he ultimately ended up with a resurging team like the Ravens to finish out the 2019 NFL season before hitting free agency:
“This feels good,” Peters said. “I was blessed to come to a team who’s got a winning tradition. They’ve been winning. They’ve got an offense who can put up points, and a defense who can stop people. I’m just trying to do my part.”
Peters added that he already has enough motivation to win heading into Week 12 without the narrative of a revenge game:
“I don’t need no motivation from nobody else,” he said. “I’m motivated enough for me to take care of my family.”
Peters has never been shy about expressing his opinion both on and off the field. Despite his hesitance, there still appears to be a sense of underlying resentment toward the Rams.
After all, they had made quite the investment to bring him to Los Angeles in the first place. Although he certainly endured his fair share of struggles, he still played an integral role in helping them get to Super Bowl LIII.
Peters is now set to enjoy a bit of a homecoming when he returns to the Coliseum to take on his former team on television. There is no question that he will be doing everything he can to make the Rams regret their decision to part ways.
Peters has good reason to be confident after making a rather seamless transition into the Ravens defense after already registering two pick-sixes during his short stint with the team so far.
