Ravens Stun Fans by Re-Signing Explosive 13-TD Journeyman Tight End After Devastating Injury Shake-Up

The Baltimore Ravens suffered a major injury setback of training camp this week when star tight end Isaiah Likely broke a bone in his foot that will keep him out for up to 2 months.

While Likely recovers, the Ravens have brought back a familiar face and signed journeyman tight end Scotty Washington, who spent 2023 and 2024 on the practice squad with Baltimore.

“The Ravens are expected to sign tight end Scotty Washington, sources tell CBS Sports,” NFL Reporter Matt Zenitz wrote on his official X account on August 2. “The 6-foot-5, 240-pound Washington was on Baltimore’s practice squad the last two years. Now set to return to the team.”

The Ravens are Washington’s fourth team in 6 seasons. He’s also played for the Cincinnati Bengals, New England Patriots and Pittsburgh Steelers, although he’s only been on the active roster with the Patriots.

Bad Luck in Final College Season at Wake Forest

Washington seemed like he was on track to be drafted in 2020 until an injury and uncertainty over his pro position killed his draft stock — he played wide receiver in college and switched to tight end in the pros.

At Waker Forest in 2019, his final college season, Washington was on track to earn All-American honors with 35 receptions for 607 yards and 7 touchdowns through 8 games before an ankle injury sidelined him for the remainder of the year.

Washington also had 45 receptions for 711 yards and 4 touchdowns in 2017 and finished his career with 13 touchdown receptions.

“Washington’s size and length could make him a compelling late-rounder or undrafted free agent due to his ability to win jump balls down the field and create stress in the red zone,” NFL draft analyst Lance Zierlein wrote in 2020. “He’s a long strider with a feel for passing and stacking cornerbacks down the field, but fails to play to his size and push people around when it’s time to create and maintain his catch space … The size and ball skills are a plus, and might be enough to get him an extended look.”

 Ravens Have NFL’s Best 1-2 Tight End Duo

One thing the Ravens have going for them is that even with Likely’s injury, they still have one of the NFL’s elite tight ends with starter and 3-time Pro Bowler Mark Andrews.

The Ravens are in an interesting year at the position with Andrews and Likely, and the stakes couldn’t be any higher for all involved. For the Ravens, it’s because they’re Super Bowl contenders with a roster stacked to the brim with talent — at tight end as much as anywhere else on the field.

For Andrews and Likely, it’s big money that’s on the line. Both were Top 10 tight ends in ESPN’s annual preseason position rankings and both are in the final years of their contracts.

Andrews is in the final season of a 4-year, $56 million contract extension he signed in September 2021. Likely is in the final season of the 4-year, $4.1 million rookie contract he signed after he was selected in the fourth round (No. 139 overall) out of Coastal Carolina in the 2022 NFL draft.

What’s really interesting to mull over is if Likely’s injury may have impacted a potential contract extension. If the Ravens were close to coughing up big money for Likely this year, it’s safe to say they’re now going to wait and see how he bounces back from the first major injury setback of his career.