For the first time in months, Ravens injured defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike has spoken.
“Good news,” he posted on X on Friday afternoon. What it means for the two-time Pro Bowl selection, however, is still not entirely clear.
Madubuike suffered a season-ending neck injury in a Week 2 win over the Cleveland Browns.
“A lot of that is things he needs to address with you guys in his time,” then-coach John Harbaugh said in late September when asked if he was worried it could be career threatening. “I really can’t speak for him, wouldn’t want to. Those are questions that would be best answered by him going forward.”
Whether Madubuike’s post means he will be able to return for next season, or if it even pertains to the injury, is unknown.
The sixth-year former third-round pick did not immediately respond to messages for comment, nor did his agent.
General manager Eric DeCosta when asked earlier this month at the team’s season-ending news conference about the status of Maduibuike also did not shed further light on the situation.
“I can’t really discuss that, obviously,” he said. “I will say, not having Nnamdi this year was a horrible situation for our team. I think it affected us in different ways — in many ways. He is a great player, a great person, a special person.
“Still working through a lot of his different ideas and things [so] that we can hopefully get more and more information about his situation. But more than that, I think just — I couldn’t talk about the specifics of him and his situation.”
Should Madubuike be able to return next season, that would be a big boost, both for a defense that struggled significantly this past season and for new coach Jesse Minter.
Baltimore ranked 24th in yards per game (354.5), 28th in pass rush win rate (30%), per ESPN analytics and its 30 sacks tied for the third-fewest in the NFL.
Having Madubuike back would surely help. In 2023, his 13 sacks led all interior defensive linemen. He followed that with 6 1/2 sacks in 2024 and had 2 through two games in 2025.
His return would also add some much needed depth up front alongside the ascending Travis Jones and veteran John Jenkins, each of whom Baltimore signed to extensions during the season. Madubuike also signed a four-year, $98 million extension in 2024.
But whether he will be still remains a mystery for now.
Have a news tip? Contact Brian Wacker at [email protected], 410-332-6200 and x.com/brianwacker1.