Days before the NFL draft, the Ravens may have gained a better grasp on the status of star defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike and whether he’ll be able to resume his football career this fall.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Madubuike underwent neck surgery last week that “left his doctors believing he will be able to resume playing this season.” The 28-year-old suffered a neck injury in Week 2 of the 2025 campaign that ended his season and left no shortage of questions about his future. Ravens officials have repeatedly declined to comment on any specifics of the neck injury or his long-term status, and Madubuike hasn’t spoken publicly on his health or future since the mid-September injury.
The reported surgery comes roughly seven months after the injury, and it’s relevant to note that the report cited Madubuike’s doctors believing he’ll be able to return to play. The team itself would need to clear him and his surgically-repaired neck, of course, and it’s unclear what the recovery timetable from such a surgery would be as the Ravens are now in the third week of their offseason training program.
At last week’s pre-draft press conference, general manager Eric DeCosta downplayed the impact of Madubuike’s availability on how Baltimore would proceed in the draft. However, after leading the NFL in sacks in 2023 (60) and finishing second in 2024 (54), the Ravens plummeted to 28th last season with just 30, which was their fewest in a season since a franchise-worst 27 in 2010.
A 2020 third-round pick out of Texas A&M, Madubuike earned back-to-back trips to the Pro Bowl in 2023 and 2024 with a combined 19 1/2 sacks.
“I would say that Nnamdi’s status doesn’t really affect us that much in terms of like what we’re going to do in the draft at the defensive tackle position,” DeCosta said last week. “As you know, we just try to rank the board, and then [draft] whoever the best player is at that point in time. Certainly, we would love to get a young defensive lineman if we can. I think it’s important to try and do that every single year if we can. It’s an important position. We want to get better up front certainly.”
Entering the third season of a four-year, $98 million contract signed after the 2023 season, Madubuike is guaranteed his $22 million base salary for 2026, but his return to the field would be a major development for new head coach Jesse Minter and new defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver. In addition to signing standout defensive tackle Travis Jones to a three-year, $40.5 million extension last December, DeCosta signed four-time Pro Bowl edge rusher Trey Hendrickson to a four-year, $112 million deal last month, which was the biggest contract the franchise has ever awarded an outside free agent.
Social media videos of Madubuike working out in recent weeks have sparked optimism about his status, and Ravens director of strength and conditioning Scott Elliott said earlier this month that Madubuike has been “working his tail off” and “is in great shape.” That made it apparent that the 6-foot-3, 305-pound defensive lineman prefers to continue his football career if he’s cleared to do so.
