Raven Country

Five Veteran Safeties Ravens Could Sign After Losing Ar'Darius Washington

The Baltimore Ravens could to turn to the free agent market to bring in an experienced replacement to offset the loss of the key defender.

Josh Reed

Oct 3, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Drake London (5) is tackled by Tampa Bay Buccaneers safety Jordan Whitehead (3) after a catch at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images
Oct 3, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Drake London (5) is tackled by Tampa Bay Buccaneers safety Jordan Whitehead (3) after a catch at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images / Dale Zanine-Imagn Images
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The Baltimore Ravens 2025 secondary was dealt a devastating blow on the injury front before it could even take the field for a meaningful game.

Following the report that fifth-year veteran safety Ar'Darius Washington suffered a torn Achilles while conditioning that will likely cause him to miss the entire upcoming season, the team might quickly turn to the veteran free agent market to fill the void.

In order to properly address the key role the former undrafted gem was projected to play this year, they will need an experienced player with a physical playing style who excels at playing downhill in the box and can even play dime linebacker if needed. Here are five veteran safeties the Ravens could target to offset the loss of Washington to their outlook in 2025.

Jordan Whitehead

Tampa Bay Buccaneers safety Jordan Whitehead (3) reacts after a play against the Washington Commanders in the third quarter.
Sep 8, 2024; Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers safety Jordan Whitehead (3) reacts after a play against the Washington Commanders in the third quarter at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images / Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

The eighth-year veteran comes with a wealth of experience, having started 101 of the 105 games he has appeared in and won a Super Bowl with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2020. Except for last season when he missed four games with a partially torn pectoral, Whitehead has been extremely durable throughout his career, having played at least 14 games in six of his first seven seasons in the league. He possesses the positional versatility that the Ravens covet at the position, having experience playing strong and free safety.

Despite playing in a career-low 12 games in 2024, Whitehead still managed to record the third-most total tackles of his career with 79, including two for a loss, to go along with a quarterback hit and three pass breakups. The average annual salaries of his last two contracts were $5.25 million or less, both of which were signed in the initial waves of free agency. Now that the 2025 NFL Draft has passed and he has sat on the open market for much longer, he could be open to playing for a contender with a glaring need, even if he wouldn't be playing a full-time role.

Quandre Diggs

Tennessee Titans safety Quandre Diggs looks to make a tackle on Buffalo Bills running back James Cook on Oct 20, 2024.
Oct 20, 2024; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Tennessee Titans safety Quandre Diggs (28) looks to make a tackle on Buffalo Bills running back James Cook (4) in the fourth quarter at Highmark Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-Imagn Images / Mark Konezny-Imagn Images

The former three-time Pro Bowler is the most experienced option left on the market with 120 career starts in 145 appearances. He is coming off a Lisfranc injury that required surgery to correct and ended his lone season with the Tennessee Titans in 2024 after just eight games. While Diggs has been a full-time starter with three different teams since 2018, the 32-year-old has only been to the playoffs three times and never gotten past the divisional round. He could be hungry enough for a legitimate chance at winning a title that he would consider signing with the Ravens at the cost of his consecutive starts streak.

Even though he didn't record an interception or pass breakup in the games he appeared in last year, Diggs possesses impressive ball skills with 24 interceptions and 56 pass breakups in his career. Not only does he have free and strong safety positional flexibility, but he is familiar with the scheme the Ravens run on defense, having spent last season with former Ravens secondary coach Dennard Wilson was his defensive coordinator. The transition, assuming he is or once he is fully recovered from his injury, would be smoother than someone who is learning it for the first time.

Last season, Diggs played on a one-year contract worth just $3 million that he didn't sign until the first week of August and could signed by the Ravens for a similar, if not lower amount, around the same time or sooner if they want to begin the cohesion building process after waiting until mid-July to bring in former two-time Pro Bowler Eddie Jackson resulted in communication breakdowns in the first half of the season.

Chuck Clark

New York Jets safety Chuck Clark (36) against the Minnesota Vikings in the second half at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Oct 6, 2024; London, United Kingdom; New York Jets safety Chuck Clark (36) against the Minnesota Vikings in the second half at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

While some fans may be torn on the possibility of a potential reunion, it would likely be welcomed by the Ravens, as they have a need at the position and are familiar with the ninth-year veteran. They originally drafted him in the sixth round of the 2017 NFL Draft out of Virginia Tech and gave him his first contract extension as he spent the first six seasons of his career in Baltimore.

The Ravens traded Clark to the New York Jets during the 2023 offseason, and after not missing a game due to injury in his entire career up to that point, a torn ACL cost him the entire next season. He appeared in and started 12 games in 2024, missed four midway through on injured reserve for an ankle injury, and finished with 69 total tackles, including one for a loss, a sack, a quarterback hit, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery and two pass breakups.

Clark isn't just familiar with the Ravens organization as a whole but, more importantly, the scheme as it hasn't changed much over the course of John Harbaugh's tenure as head coach, despite having multiple defensive coordinators over his nearly two decades at the helm. He played closely with current Ravens multi-time Pro Bowlers Marlon Humphrey and Kyle Hamilton, so the acclimation period from on-field cohesion and communication standpoints wouldn't take long.

During his first stint with the Ravens, Clark played several roles on defense, including both free and strong safety as well as dime linebacker in sub packages, so he'd be an ideal replacement for Washington in every way they need. He played on a one-year deal with the Jets last year worth just $2 million and can probably be had for around the same amount or perhaps lower, as the veteran safety market remains oversaturated with experienced options at the moment.

John Johnson III

Los Angeles Rams safety John Johnson III (43) celebrates after intercepting a pass against the Washington Commanders.
Dec 17, 2023; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Rams safety John Johnson III (43) celebrates after intercepting a pass against the Washington Commanders in the second half at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The ninth-year veteran has spent the bulk of his career with the Los Angeles Rams, with the exception of a two-year stint he spent in the AFC North playing for the Cleveland Browns in the 2021 and 2022 seasons. Bringing him back to the division to play this particular role would make a lot of sense, given his ability to not only play both safety spots but dime linebacker as well on passing downs, covering tight ends and pass-catching running backs.

Johnson's 2024 season was cut short after just two games due to a shoulder injury. Still, in his last 20 appearances for the team, including the playoffs, he made 10 starts and recorded 56 total tackles, seven pass breakups and three interceptions. Last year, he signed with the Rams in early July on a one-year deal worth just over the 2024 veteran minimum salary at $1.37 million and could likely be had for a similar figure this summer as well.

Marcus Maye

Los Angeles Chargers safety Marcus Maye (24) intercepts a pass in the end zone against the Atlanta Falcons on Dec 1, 2024.
Dec 1, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Los Angeles Chargers safety Marcus Maye (24) intercepts a pass in the end zone against the Atlanta Falcons during the second half at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images / Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

The ninth-year veteran is another option who fits the description of the kind of player at the position they could seek out to fill Washington's role. Maye has extensive experience playing both safety spots and played for two former Ravens assistant coaches turned defensive coordinators last season, between his stints with the Miami Dolphins under Anthony Weaver and the Los Angeles Chargers under Jesse Minter.

In his 15 game appearances between the two teams last season, Maye made four starts and recorded 42 total tackles, including one for a loss, three pass breakups and an interception. His calculated market value, according to Spotrac, is just a one-year deal worth $1.5 million, which is right in the Ravens' wheelhouse.

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Josh Reed
JOSH REED

Josh is a writer for Baltimore Ravens On SI focusing primarily on original content and reporting. He provides analysis, breakdowns, profiles, and reports on important news and transactions from and about the Ravens. His professional resume as a sports reporter includes covering local events, teams, and athletes in his hometown of Anchorage, Alaska for Anchorage Daily News. His coverage on the Ravens and other NFL teams has been featured on Heavy.com/sports, Maryland Sports Blog and most recently Baltimore Beatdown from 2021 until 2025.

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