It’s unfortunate, but injuries are a part of football. In the NFL, they happen often because of how physical the game is. However, it’s even sadder when injuries occur in the offseason. That’s what’s happened to Baltimore Ravens safety Ar’Darius Washington.
According to NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport on Twitter, Washington has torn his Achilles. The injury reportedly occurred during conditioning, and it likely knocks Washington out for the entire 2025 season. An Achilles tear is one of the worst injuries in sports, and it takes a long time to fully recover.
Washington signed with the Ravens as an undrafted free agent in 2021. Since then, he’s worked hard to expand his role with the team. Last year, he even started nine games for Baltimore. Many Steelers fans will likely remember him as the player who forced Russell Wilson to fumble at the goal line in the two teams’ second meeting last season.
This year, Washington seemed primed for a bigger role on the Ravens’ defense. While they selected safety Malaki Starks in the first round of the draft this year, Washington likely would’ve still had a presence in their secondary. Now, he’ll probably have to focus on 2026, unless he finds a way to come back toward the end of this year.
Even then, it might take some time for Washington to knock the rust off. Look at Aaron Rodgers. He tore his Achilles to begin the 2023 season, and while he didn’t miss a game in 2024, he didn’t look like the same player for much of the beginning of the year.
It took Rodgers time to get back into the swing of things. However, he’s in his 40s, while Washington is still only 25 years old. Therefore, the Ravens’ safety might not have as tough a time bouncing back.
The Ravens’ defense stepped up in a big way to end the 2024 season, and Washington was a part of that. Now, that unit will have to function without him. Perhaps that will force Starks to develop and see the field a little quicker. Either way, it’s a blow to a Ravens team that was looking to contend for a Super Bowl this year, and it’s a sad development for a young player.
