OWINGS MILLS, Md. — While the Week 5 status of quarterback Lamar Jackson and other injured players remains up in the air, the Ravens provided sobering news on star defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike on Monday.
Two days after placing Madubuike on injured reserve with a neck injury suffered in Week 2, Baltimore ruled out the two-time Pro Bowl selection for the remainder of the season. It’s a major blow to a struggling defense ranked last in the NFL in points allowed and next to last in yards allowed, but even more concerning was head coach John Harbaugh’s reluctance to comment on Madubuike’s football status beyond 2025.
“A lot of that is something that he needs to address with you guys on his time, so I really can’t speak for him — I wouldn’t want to,” Harbaugh said. “Those are questions that would be best answered by him going forward, and he may be still getting some information on that as well. But I will leave that for him to answer.”
After collecting 21 1/2 sacks since the start of 2023, the 27-year-old Madubuike is in the second season of a four-year, $98 million contract.
Harbaugh did confirm defensive tackle Broderick Washington is expected to return from IR after sitting out the four-game minimum with the ankle injury he sustained in the Week 3 loss to Detroit. Washington would be eligible to return as soon as the Week 9 game at Miami.
As for Jackson (hamstring) and the others — left tackle Ronnie Stanley (ankle), inside linebacker Roquan Smith (hamstring), and cornerbacks Marlon Humphrey (calf) and Nate Wiggins (elbow) — exiting Sunday’s 37-20 loss to Kansas City, Harbaugh said the organization has “a pretty good feel on all the injuries” while declining to comment more specifically at the start of the week. However, the 18th-year coach dismissed speculation about the 17-point deficit late in the third quarter influencing the decision to replace the hobbled Jackson with backup Cooper Rush.
“There was no way he was going to go back into the game. The injury precluded it,” Harbaugh said. “During the game, you’re playing the next series as a coach, but there was no way he could go back in the game. I know Lamar. If he could have gone [back] in the game, he would’ve been in the game. That’s how he is, but I can assure you that he would not have been able to go back in the game under any circumstance.”
8
Harbaugh’s strong wording on that subject leads one to believe Jackson is in jeopardy of missing this Sunday’s tilt with Houston. A Week 7 bye should help address a lengthy injury report in a few weeks, but there’s the reality of the Ravens being 1-3 for the first time in 10 years and playing 2024 playoff teams — the Texans and the Los Angeles Rams — in the next two games.
In other words, Baltimore needs to be smart with an array of injuries that could linger or worsen without appropriate rest and treatment, but the prospects of falling to 1-4 or even 1-5 are even more alarming.
Per NFL Network reports, Humphrey is expected to miss “a couple of weeks” while Smith is dealing with a Grade 2 hamstring strain that’s expected to sideline him until after the bye.
