Ahead of their big Week 2 Monday Night Football showdown with the Detroit Lions, the Baltimore Ravens got some bad news on the injury front. Ravens head coach John Harbaugh revealed on Saturday that star defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike is ruled out for the game against the Lions.
“Well I can’t really share any details on the injury itself, but it’s something that [the Ravens medical staff are] looking at,” Harbaugh said to reporters. “[Madubuike] had [come] up with some symptoms after the game. Nothing specific in the game, where we saw it actually happen, but they’re dealing with the symptoms and they’re testing right now, so he will be ruled out for this game and they’re going to try and get to the bottom of it.”
Maduibuike is dealing with a neck injury suffered in Week 2 in a win over the Browns, but as of now, we don’t have any more details. The specific nature of his injury, how serious it is, and the timeline for his return are currently unknown. From Harbaugh’s statement, it sounds like Baltimore doesn’t know much more than we do just yet.
Nnamdi Madubuike’s Absence is a Huge Loss for the Baltimore Ravens
Scott Taetsch/GettyBALTIMORE, MARYLAND – JANUARY 11: Nnamdi Madubuike #92 of the Baltimore Ravens takes the field prior to the game against the Pittsburgh Steelers during the AFC Wild Card Playoff at M&T Bank Stadium on January 11, 2025 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)
“[Madubuike’s injury absence] would hurt any team,” said Ravens DT Aeneas Peebles. “He’s one of the best defensive tackles in this whole entire league. He’s somebody that I love watching his game, love studying his game, so it hurts. It hurts not having an All-Pro defender out there.”
Peebles is one of the defenders who will need to step up with Madubuike out. The sixth-round rookie out of Virginia Tech has appeared in both games for Baltimore so far this year, but he’ll be asked to play a much bigger role now. Peebles has a tackle and a pass defensed so far in his career. Either he or DT John Jenkins is in line to get the start on Monday.
Replacing Madubuike is no small feat. Peebles wasn’t exaggerating when he described Madubuike as one of the best defensive tackles in the league. He was voted a second-team All-Pro in 2023, a year in which he had 56 tackles, 13 sacks, and two forced fumbles. The former third-round pick out of Texas A&M has blossomed into one of the league’s premier pass rushers on the interior.
Baltimore Ravens Jockeying for Position in a Tough AFC
Dropping the Week 1 road game in Buffalo on a last-second field goal is a tough break for Baltimore. With the loss, the Ravens now lose the tiebreaker to the Bills, something that could come into play down the line when it comes to AFC playoff seeding.
They bounced back against the Browns in Week 2, but they now embark on a potentially season-defining stretch. Starting with the Lions on Monday night, the Ravens follow that up with the Chiefs, Texans, and Rams in consecutive weeks. Going 2-2 in those games feels like a must, but ideally, the Ravens would go 3-1. If Baltimore can come out of Week 6 with a 4-2 record, they’d have to be feeling great about where their season is headed.
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