Baltimore Ravens safety Ar’Darius Washington has been patiently waiting for his opportunity to come, and now it’s finally here.
Washington, a fourth-year pro from TCU, unfortunately didn’t get to play much in his first three seasons. He started out as an inactive, but even after receiving the promotion, he still couldn’t get on the field much due to a plethora of injuries, including a season-ending foot injury in 2021 and a neck injury that caused him to miss most of 2023.
Finally healthy coming into this season, Washington was expected to play a much larger role in the secondary, and that he has. He started out as a rotational player, but continued to play well and has now started the last four games. In Sunday’s game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, which was one of the defense’s better performances despite the loss, Washington played every defensive snap for the first time in his career.
On Monday, head coach John Harbaugh confirmed that the plan is to have Washington as a starter going forward, pairing him with All-Pro Kyle Hamilton. That’s exciting news not just for Washington, but for his new running mate as well.
“I think in my three years here, ‘A.D.’ [Ar’Darius Washington] has been one of the more resilient people on the team,” Hamilton said Thursday. “He’s had injuries; he’s had times where he might have not been in the rotation; he’s had times where he’s been put in the rotation [and] had another injury. He’s just been super consistent ever since I’ve been here, and to see him get an opportunity and excel with the opportunity, I think he’s not just back there – I think he’s back there making plays and doing his job at a high level.
“[I’m] super happy for him and just thankful I get to play besides somebody like that and have somebody who’s as much of a professional as he is [after] maybe not [being] in the position that he wanted to be in at the start of the season. We’re getting down to the crunch time of the season, and he’s a big part of our defense. So, I’m just happy for him and excited.”
In 11 games this season, Washington has 36 total tackles, six passes defended and an interception, and that’s with him seeing limited action early on. He’s also been solid in coverage, allowing a passer rating of 86.7, which is on the better end for Ravens defensive backs.
The struggles of Marcus Williams and Eddie Jackson may have created an opportunity for Washington to earn more snaps, but make no mistake, he’s earned this chance.
