The Ravens have another injury in their secondary, as they placed defensive back Ar'Darius Washington on injured reserve with a chest injury.
The Ravens also signed center Sam Mustipher to the 53-man roster Tuesday, taking Washington's spot.
Washington has been the team's slot cornerback the first two weeks. He played 95% of the defensive snaps Sunday in Cincinnati and 73% of the snaps in Week 1 against the Texans. He had 11 tackles, two passes defensed and a sack in the first two games.
Washington's injury adds to Baltimore's secondary injury issues. Cornerback Marlon Humphrey is not yet back from his foot surgery. Safety Marcus Williams is sidelined by a pectoral injury, though he opted not to undergo surgery and will not go on injured reserve, which means he's expected to return in the not-too-distant future. Washington had been part of the Ravens' answer to those losses.
After going undrafted in 2021, Washington made the team as a rookie but didn't see much action before going on IR with a foot injury. He spent his sophomore season primarily on the practice squad. But after a strong summer this year, Washington won the Ravens' nickel cornerback job.
Washington's injury could mean more action for veteran slot cornerback Arthur Maulet, who has been a gameday inactive the first two weeks.
The Ravens scooped Maulet up after a contract dispute led to his release from the Pittsburgh Steelers. He played well early in training camp but suffered a hamstring injury and missed much of camp. Despite that, he still made the 53-man roster and the Ravens are fortunate to have him now.
Baltimore will face the Indianapolis Colts this Sunday at M&T Bank Stadium and Maulet's former team, the Steelers, in Week 5. Maulet said he has that game circled on his calendar.
"Obviously, I'm a tough guy. I kind of fit the scheme. I like the way the defense is set up," Maulet said on Aug. 30. "I think I'm going to thrive in it, so [I] just can't wait to get out there and play, honestly."
Mustipher had been activated from the practice squad for the first two games. He stepped in as a starter in place of injured Tyler Linderbaum (ankle sprain) in Cincinnati. Mustipher played well, as the Ravens didn't surrender a sack and Lamar Jackson faced the lowest pressure rate of his career.
