The Patriots signed Washington to a reserve/future contract Tuesday.
Washington spent the first two seasons of his career with the Bengals before signing with the Patriots' practice squad Sept. 20. The 25-year-old tight end then made his NFL debut after being elevated for the Week 16 loss to Cincinnati, though he did not log a target over his 20 offensive snaps. Washington landed on the practice-squad injured list with an undisclosed issue Dec. 27, and it appears he is now healthy again heading into the 2023 offseason.