Ravens place Nnamdi Madubuike on injured reserve in major blow to defense

Brian Wacker, The Baltimore Sun on Sep 27, 2025

Published in Football

By clicking submit, I authorize Arcamax and its affiliates to: (1) use, sell, and share my information for marketing purposes, including cross-context behavioral advertising, as described in our Privacy Policy , (2) add to information that I provide with other information like interests inferred from web page views, or data lawfully obtained from data brokers, such as past purchase or location data, or publicly available data, (3) contact me or enable others to contact me by email or other means with offers for different types of goods and services, and (4) retain my information while I am engaging with marketing messages that I receive and for a reasonable amount of time thereafter. I understand I can opt out at any time through an email that I receive, or by clicking here

BALTIMORE — The Ravens will be without Pro Bowl defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike for the foreseeable future.

Days after coach John Harbaugh said that he was“concerned” about a neck injury that has sidelined Madubuike since a Week 2 win over the Cleveland Browns, the Ravens announced Saturday that the 27-year-old former third-round draft pick will be placed on injured reserve. That will keep Madubuike out for at least the next four games, beginning with Sunday’s showdown against the reigning AFC champion Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium.

Baltimore also placed defensive tackle Broderick Washington (ankle) on injured reserve. To reinforce the defensive line, the Ravens signed defensive end Brent Urban to the 53-man roster and elevated defensive tackle C.J. Okoye and nose tackle Josh Tupou from the practice squad for Sunday’s game.

Though not a surprise, the loss of Madubuike is a crushing one for a defense that has been one of the worst in the NFL over the first three weeks of the season.

Baltimore is ranked second-to-last in points allowed per game (32) and last in yards allowed per game (415). It also ranks 30th in rushing yards allowed per game (149) after giving up 224 on the ground in a 38-30 loss to the Detroit Lions on Monday.

Madubuike, whom the Ravens drafted 71st overall out of Texas A&M in 2020, has been a disruptive force in recent years. In 2022, he broke through with 5 1/2 sacks and a year later led the team with 13 sacks, which was also tops among all interior linemen in the NFL.

Last season, Madubuike’s sack total dipped to 6 1/2, though he was one of the most double teamed linemen in the league, drawing extra attention on 233 snaps, per Next Gen Stats. Through two games this season, he had a team-high two sacks along with 10 pressures.

Madubuike has also been a steady presence in the lineup, appearing in 55 straight games before suffering the injury. In his last start on Sept. 14 against the Browns, he logged 43 snaps.

How Baltimore will deal with his loss remains to be seen, but he will not be easily replaced.

Fourth-year defensive tackle Travis Jones should help, though he has has just 3 1/2 sacks and one pressure on his career. He has also been dealing with a knee injury this past week.

The Ravens have veteran John Jenkins and sixth-round rookie Aeneas Peebles as well and earlier this week signed veteran defensive linemen Taven Bryan and Tupou. The 6-foot-6, 370-pound Okoye, a product of the NFL’s International Pathway Program from Nigeria, has never played in a regular-season game. Tupou, 31, played three games with the Ravens last season.

Harbaugh praised Jenkins for his performance against the Lions and will be counting on the 6-3, 360-pound veteran for more snaps.

“His reps will go up, for sure, and he’s ready,” Harbaugh said Friday of the 13-year pro. “He’s practiced really well, and he’s a decorated vet and a really good player. He’s done a great job, so we’re expecting a really good game from him.

Whether the Ravens look to fill Madubuike’s void via trade also remains to be seen. This year’s trade deadline is Nov. 11 after Week 10.

Madubuike’s loss also stings financially. Last offseason, the Ravens signed him to a four-year, $98 million contract extension that included $75.5 million in guarantees and $53.5 million at signing.

“[Nnamdi] is one of the best defensive tackles in the entire NFL and a cornerstone on our defense,” general manager Eric DeCosta said at the time.

The deal at the time made him the second-highest paid interior defensive lineman in the league behind only since-retired Los Angeles Rams star Aaron Donald.

The move came after Madubuike was the first Raven to reach double digits in sacks since Terrell Suggs in 2017 and after he tied an NFL record with a streak of 11 straight games with at least half a sack in 2023.

Last season, Madubuike had 56 pressures, per Pro Football Focus, to go with 43 tackles, including 11 for loss. He also had a pass breakup. For his career, Madubuike has 30 sacks and 203 tackles over five-plus seasons in Baltimore.

____