OWINGS MILLS, Md. — As the Ravens prepare for their Week 3 trip to Brazil to take on the Dallas Cowboys, one of their best players took a key step toward making his long-awaited season debut on Wednesday.
For the first time since the regular season began, two-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike practiced fully, a sign that he could be on track to play for the first time since suffering a career-threatening neck injury in Week 2 of the 2025 season. Though Madubuike has taken part in every practice since training camp opened in late July, he had ramped up very slowly as a limited participant and was ruled out on the Friday before each of the first two games of the 2026 season.
Head coach Jesse Minter indicated earlier this month that the 28-year-old defensive lineman was “really, really close” to being ready for game action, which is why Baltimore didn’t place Madubuike on injured reserve at the end of the preseason. The 6-foot-3, 305-pound interior defender collected a total of 25 sacks over his last three healthy seasons from 2022-24.
Unfortunately, Wednesday’s news wasn’t as encouraging for star wide receiver Zay Flowers, who didn’t practice after sitting out the Week 2 loss to New Orleans due to a hamstring injury. The two-time Pro Bowl wideout was technically a limited practice participant last Friday, but that came across more as gamesmanship than any kind of meaningful activity indicating he had a practical chance to play against the Saints.
The Ravens obviously want to be careful with the hamstring that’s bothered Flowers for more than a month now, and there has been plenty of discourse about the quality of the playing surface at Maracanã Stadium in Rio de Janeiro. Minter acknowledged that being a factor in helping determine whether Flowers will return to action or sit another week.
“I think you have to take everything into account, but most importantly what’s best for him,” Minter said. “We’ll figure all these out. I think we have a lot of guys in that day-to-day range right now. We’ll figure out what’s best, but I think you always take everything into account to make sure that it’s in the best interest of the player.”
In the five drives in which Flowers has played this season, the Ravens have scored four touchdowns. Since then, Baltimore has three touchdowns in 15 possessions, which excludes the final drive in Indianapolis that ended with quarterback kneels.
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Though Sunday’s 24-17 defeat ended with a Lamar Jackson interception intended for Rashod Bateman, the maligned No. 2 wide receiver still finished with seven catches for a touchdown and a game-high 88 receiving yards. Should Flowers need to miss another week, Baltimore will need more of that from Bateman, who was held without a catch in the season-opening win against the Colts.
“It’s not even building off from last week. We’ve had chemistry since he’s been in the league,” Jackson said. “It’s just different guys, different things may happen in different games where other guys might get the ball more. We’re just taking what the defense gives us, but our chemistry’s always been there, and it’s going to continue to grow.”
Left tackle Ronnie Stanley didn’t practice after exiting late in the third quarter of Sunday’s game with the toe injury that sidelined him for all but one limited practice last week. Should Stanley not be able to go against the Cowboys, Carson Vinson would be in line to make his first career start at left tackle.
In addition to Madubuike, second-year inside linebacker Teddye Buchanan practiced fully for the first time since the start of the regular season and could be nearing his season debut. Buchanan hasn’t played in a game since suffering a torn ACL in his right knee last December.
Starting safety Malaki Starks was listed as limited with a hamstring issue, which makes his status worth monitoring over the next couple days.
Three notable members of the Dallas secondary sat out Wednesday’s practice: safeties Malik Hooker (forearm) and P.J. Locke (foot) and cornerback Cobie Durant (hamstring). Hooker missed last Sunday’s win over Washington while neither Locke nor Durant is expected to play in Week 3 after being injured during the Commanders game.
The Cowboys were also without starting linebacker DeMarvion Overshown, who sat out Week 2 with a hamstring injury.
8Below is Wednesday’s full injury report:
BALTIMORE
DID NOT PARTICIPATE: DL Calais Campbell (rest), WR Zay Flowers (hamstring), OLB Trey Hendrickson (finger), OT Ronnie Stanley (toe)
LIMITED PARTICIPATION: WR Chris Moore (ankle), G John Simpson (groin), S Malaki Starks (hamstring), OLB Zion Young (quad)
FULL PARTICIPATION: ILB Teddye Buchanan (knee), DT Nnamdi Madubuike (neck)
DALLAS
DID NOT PARTICIPATE: CB Cobie Durant (hamstring), S Malik Hooker (forearm), S P.J. Locke (foot), LB DeMarvion Overshown (hamstring)
FULL PARTICIPATION: OLB James Houston (shoulder)
