Ravens Head Coach Counting on Injured Defender for Late Season

"It was a clean tear if you want to call it that so it's one of those ones that is the more quick healing version," Ravens head coach John Harbaugh said Wednesday. "Ar'Darius tells me he'll be back in November and he's always been a quick healer. I'm looking at November (or) December in my mind so yes we're counting on him being back."

While Harbaugh admitted that the optimistic timeline is still speculative at this point given that Washington still has to undergo the healing and rehabilitation process, his previous history or being able to bounce back in a short amount of time from other setbacks has them all encouraged about the best possible outcome.

After the Ravens' secondary was the worst in the league at consistently defending the pass through the first 10 weeks of the 2024 season, Washington's insertion into the starting lineup and emergence down the stretch helped both stabilize and turn the unit around. He formed a dynamic safety tandem with two-time Pro Bowler Kyle Hamilton, and expectations for the team's pass coverage unit were sky-high before the news of his injury broke, given the offseason additions they made to bring in first-round safety Malaki Starks and veteran cornerback Chidobe Awuzie in free agency.

Washington appeared in every game of the season for the first time in his career and recorded career-highs across the board with 10 starts, 64 total tackles, five tackles for loss, two interceptions and eight pass breakups. Originally an undrafted free agent in 2021, his journey to and in the NFL up to this point is a testament to perseverance and grit.

"He's become a really good player," Harbaugh said. "I must say a great player. He's really become a great player. Nobody deserves opportunity and success more than Ar'Darius Washington and nobody is going to fight harder for it so I'm counting on him getting back."

Assuming Washington can return to action at some point in the second half of the season before the playoffs, having another highly instinctual playmaker who knows the scheme and already has a strong rapport with the other players in the backend would be a significant boost to the team's defense, particularly one with Super Bowl aspirations. The schematic flexibility their elite three-safety trio allowed in 2023 was a key to their run to the AFC title game for the first time in over a decade.