The Baltimore Ravens lost a key piece of their defense on Tuesday night.
Ravens safety Ar'Darius Washington tore his Achilles and is now expected to miss most, if not all, of the season this fall. Washington went down during conditioning work, according to the NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, though further specifics of his injury are not yet known.
Sources: #Ravens safety Ar'Darius Washington, who was expected to play a key role in Baltimore’s defense next season, has torn his Achilles, the MRI has confirmed.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) May 13, 2025
The injury, which occurred during conditioning, will cause him to miss most or all of the 2025 season. pic.twitter.com/yzzHbcqLT9
Washington was expected to play a significant part in the Baltimore secondary this fall. The 25-year-old signed a one-year, $3.263 million restricted free agent tender to return to the Ravens this offseason after his breakout campaign last year. Washington, who went undrafted out of TCU, had 64 total tackles and two interceptions last season, both of which are career-highs. He stepped into a starting role midway through the year and more than held his own, too.
The Ravens went 12-5 last season, which marked their third straight season with double-digit wins. They were knocked out in the divisional round of the playoffs, however, despite winning the AFC North for a second consecutive year.
While losing Washington stings, the Ravens do have a replacement available to slide in quickly. They selected former Georgia star Malaki Starks with the No. 27 overlal pick in the NFL Draft last moth. Starks had 77 total tackles and an interception last season with the Bullogs. He should be able to jump right into the Baltimore secondary and make an impact right away. The team also has starter Kyle Hamilton, too. Hamilton had 107 total tackles and an interception, and he earned his second straight Pro Bowl nod, last season, his third in the league.
The injury is the latest significant one that Washington has faced throughout his career. He went down with a season-ending foot injury as a rookie, and then missed most of the 2023 season with a chest injury. Washington had yet to play in more than three games a season before last year's run.
"Ar'Darius is a great example of a guy who got a chance and ran with it," general manager Eric DeCosta said in January, <a data-i13n="cpos:1;pos:1" href="https://www.thebaltimorebanner.com/sports/ravens-nfl/ravens-ardarius-washington-achilles-tendon-injury-ZOE3L652LZD2DNLGTC4ITZPESY/">via the Baltimore Banner</a>. "This year, he stayed healthy and he became that guy that we saw in college. He's tough, physical, a playmaker, instinctive, smart, a leader. He's a great story. Just another one of these undrafted guys over the years that we've had that has developed into being a really good football player."
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