ExtremeRavens Posted September 24 Posted September 24 The Ravens will be without one of their defensive stars for at least another week. Pro Bowl defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike will not play Sunday against the Kansas City Chiefs with a neck injury, coach John Harbaugh said after Wednesday’s practice. Madubuike hasn’t practiced since playing in Week 2 against the Cleveland Browns. The severity of his injury is unknown. Harbaugh said that he is “concerned” about it without providing any details. “I haven’t been given the OK to comment on it at this point,” Harbaugh said when asked if it’s a long-term injury. “So, he’s not going to play this week, I can tell you that. So we’re going have to see going forward when they know what they need to know.” The star defensive tackle’s absence is a crushing blow for the defense. Madubuike, 27, is a disruptive force and the centerpiece of Baltimore’s defensive front. In 2023, he led the team with 13 sacks, which was also tops among all interior linemen in the NFL. In 2024, his sack total dropped to 6 1/2 but he was double-teamed 233 times, per Next Gen Stats, putting him alongside such players as Kansas City Chiefs star Chris Jones. This season, he had a team-high two sacks and 10 pressures through the first two games. Madubuike had also been a dependable presence, playing in 55 straight games before suffering the injury. That included playing 43 snaps in a Sept. 14 win over the Cleveland Browns. Now, however, Baltimore is left needing to fill a major void. Ascendant fourth-year defensive tackle Travis Jones should help, though he has has just 3 1/2 sacks and one pressure on his career and is not the same kind of pass rush game-wrecker that Madubuike can be. He’s also missed practice Wednesday, putting his status Sunday into jeopardy. Beyond Jones, Baltimore will lean on divvying up more snaps between veterans Broderick Washington Jr. and John Jenkins and sixth-round rookie Aeneas Peebles. Like Jones, Washington was absent from Wednesday’s practice. The Ravens also signed veteran defensive tackles Taven Bryan and Josh Tupou to the practice squad and have defensive end Brent Urban on the practice squad as well. Urban was elevated for Monday night’s game against the Detroit Lions. Baltimore could turn to the trade market if Madubuike’s injury keeps him out for an extended period. This year’s trade deadline is Nov. 11 after Week 10. But there’s no getting around the significance of the loss of Madubuike, who during the 2024 offseason signed 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. “We are thrilled for [him] and his family and equally happy for our fanbase. This is a great way to start the new league year.” 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. It came after Madubuike was the first Raven to reach double digits in sacks since Terrell Suggs in 2017. His streak of 11 straight games with at least half a sack in 2023 also tied the NFL’s single-season record and paced a Ravens defense that became the first to lead the league in sacks, takeaways and points allowed per game. Last season, Madubuike had 56 pressures, per Pro Football Focus, and added 43 tackles including 11 for loss. He also had one forced fumble and one pass breakup. For his career, Madubuike has 30 sacks and 203 tackles over five-plus seasons in Baltimore. This article will be updated. Have a news tip? Contact Brian Wacker at bwacker@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/brianwacker1. View the full article Quote
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