Baltimore Ravens safety Ar’Darius Washington, who became an effective starter for the contending club last year, tore an Achilles during conditioning and he could now miss the entire NFL season.
Ian Rapoport of NFL Network was first to report the news and now an MRI has confirmed the bad injury.
Washington recently signed his one-year, $3.263 million tender and the plan was even after this NFL Draft that he would be a rotational part of the group, joining standout Kyle Hamilton and first-round rookie Malaki Starks in giving the Ravens a premium safety room.
Washington was an undrafted free agent in 2021 but he replaced Marcus Williams in Week 8 in the 2024 season and he experienced a breakout year. He played in all 17 games and registered 10 starts.
And along the way he was a playmaker as he ended up totaling two interceptions, a forced fumble, a sack and 64 tackles.
Washington took his time to sign his offer sheet here, but he never did get an offer from another team before the deadline.
So Washington was going to have to be content in Baltimore with that tender ... and with a chance to play for a contender.
Washington went undrafted out of TCU in 2021 before signing a free agent deal with the Ravens in May of that year. He was waived in August in the last round of cuts before being re-signed to the practice squad.
His first three seasons combined saw him appear in just eight games with 14 tackles, two passes defended and one sack. But then came a jump up ...
And now comes a setback.