After losing a heartbreaker against the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Baltimore Ravens are entering the offseason early with more questions than answers, and they could lose free agent ArDarius Washington. While the Ravens have multiple free agents to address in March, one of the main focuses will be on the secondary unit, which has struggled for the past two seasons. Despite trading for Alohi Gilman to bring in some relief for Washington while he was out for the majority of the 2025 season, Baltimore’s air attack wasn’t about to defend the opposing offense. Ultimately, it will come down to a decision between Gilman and Washington, which can go either way in terms of who the Ravens want to prioritize.
Heartbreaking Ravens Loss May Lead to Sudden Free Agent ArDarius Washington Departure
Unfortunately, it puts the safety in a tough spot. The Ravens must figure out a way to find a legitimate complement across from standout safety Kyle Hamilton. Washington came back for the last few weeks of the 2025 campaign, but it was too late for him to make an impact. The Ravens signed the safety to an extension last offseason in hopes that he could replicate the success he had in 2024. After recording career-highs in every category as a reliable safety, Washington wasn’t able to live up to the moment this past season.
Still, the safety is a capable defender when healthy. The Ravens would run the risk of signing him even at a low-stakes one-year deal. However, he did turn a secondary that was one of the worst between Marcus Williams and Eddie Jackson in 2024, but that might not happen anymore as these teams could target the safety in free agency.
Possible Next Teams
Dallas Cowboys
Despite attempting to improve the defensive interior, the Dallas Cowboys had one of the worst secondary units in football. With Defensive Coordinator Matt Eberflus rumored to be fired, the team needs to figure out how to adjust its unit to win one-on-one matchups against the opposing receiver. Trevon Diggs and DaRon Bland have been unsuccessful in doing that, followed by the poor tackling of Donovan Wilson. While blame can be on Eberflus, it begins with the players as well, since none have been reliable to stay consistent, and at times, the Cowboys were hit with injuries.
Wilson is slated to hit free agency, so that leaves a void in their safety starting spot. The Cowboys will be expected to retain Malik Hooker, but as they get older in that group, they will likely take a safety early in this year’s draft. Washington won’t be the most exciting addition, but it’s the cheaper option for Dallas to lean on some type of talent to help Hooker.
Kansas City Chiefs
Meanwhile, the Chiefs are likely to rebuild a new regime this upcoming offseason. The Chiefs are expected to spend less during free agency and are at risk of losing several talented players, including Bryan Cook and Jaylen Watson. While that happens, they will need to extend Trent McDuffie and find their next man up in the safety group. If anything else, the Chiefs should sign Washington on a low-stakes one-year contract to fill the much-needed hole.
New Orleans Saints
New Orleans is going to continue to build on both sides of the ball while they’re searching for their next starting quarterback. It looks like they trust in Tyler Shough, but the Saints could draft or trade for a quarterback. Unfortunately, they don’t have the financial means to pull off a massive blockbuster deal. While they figure that out, they must find ways to upgrade the secondary, as cornerback Alontae Taylor could leave in free agency.
Despite signing Julian Blackmon to provide some relief opposite Justin Reid, the safety hasn’t gotten much help. Washington might be the next addition for the Saints to step in and help turn this Saints secondary in the right direction if they lose Taylor.