Ravens Promote Ex-Bills CB After Devastating Injury to Ar’Darius Washington

Getty Baltimore Ravens cornerback Kevon Seymour makes a tackle as a member of the Buffalo Bills in 2016.

The Baltimore Ravens’ injury luck continues to worsen this season, with head coach John Harbaugh confirming yesterday that rookie safety Ar’Darius Washington suffered a season-ending broken foot in practice on Wednesday, according to Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic.

Zrebiec first reported on Thanksgiving that Washington “sustained a potentially significant foot injury,” leaving the Ravens even more shorthanded in their secondary. Baltimore moved Washington to the injured reserve list today, per the NFL’s official transaction report, confirming that he will not play again this season.

Washington did not play much this season, but he was expected to take on a larger role in the coming weeks with injuries to multiple defensive backs, including nickel corner Tavon Young, who Washington replaced last Sunday against the Chicago Bears. Now, Washington joins a whopping 15 other Ravens on season-ending injured reserve, which also includes cornerbacks Marcus Peters, Khalil Dorsey and Iman Marshall.

Though Washington went undrafted in the 2021 NFL Draft, the Ravens still opted to keep him on the 53-man roster over their own fifth-round selection, former Ohio State Buckeye Shaun Wade, who was traded to the New England Patriots in the preseason. Washington’s three-year contract ensures that he’ll have a chance to make the active roster again next season after he recovers from his broken foot.

Ravens Promote Veteran DB

Baltimore promoted veteran cornerback Kevon Seymour to replace Washington on the 53-man roster today, giving them some much-needed depth in their defensive backfield.

Seymour was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the sixth round of the 2016 NFL Draft, appearing in 15 games and starting three during his rookie season. He was later traded to the Carolina Panthers, where he played 16 games in 2017 before being released. He didn’t play in the 2018 or 2019 seasons, working at a tire store in Charlotte, North Carolina to make ends meet. He made his NFL comeback in 2020 with the Philadelphia Eagles before arriving in Baltimore as a member of the practice squad earlier this season.

He’s appeared in three games for the Ravens this year, mostly as a special teams contributor, but he’ll likely fill a rotational role on defense for the rest of the season. He’s only missed six tackles in almost 700 career snaps over four seasons, per Pro Football Focus, so he shouldn’t be a liability as part of a Ravens secondary that has struggled to tackle this season.

Free Agent Targets for Ravens?

With so many injuries to their secondary this season, especially in the last two weeks, the Ravens might look into bringing in some more outside help. But so late in the season, it’s slim pickings in free agency, with only a handful of veterans who haven’t played in the last year available.

Veteran safety Tre Boston was mentioned as a potential target after DeShon Elliott suffered a season-ending injury against the Minnesota Vikings, but the Ravens seem more than happy with the play of rookie Brandon Stephens.

The Ravens hosted several cornerbacks, including ex-Cleveland Brown Buster Skrine, for workouts in September, but they’d likely be more inclined to promote Kevin Toliver or Mazzi Wilkins from the practice squad in case of another injury.