Ravens DT Nnamdi Madubuike Is Grateful To Be Back and Never Doubted Return From Injury

With a sack in each of his first two games to open the 2025 season, Baltimore Ravens two-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Nnamdi Madbuike appeared to be off to another hot start as one of the premier interior pass rushers in the league.

Unfortunately, the team's home opener in Week 2 would be the last time he stepped on the field for the remainder of the season, as he sustained a neck injury that would eventually require offseason surgery to address.

Out of respect for his privacy, the Ravens didn't divulge any details about the severity of Madubuike's setback while he sought multiple opinions and figured out next steps, but that didn't stop the rumors and speculation that he and the team were preparing to deal with a potential career-threatening diagnosis.

However, walking away from the game was never a reality that Madubuike let himself believe or consider for a moment he explained after Friday's practice in his first remarks since surgery.

"There are a lot of rumors out there, but I always knew I was going to be back," Madubuike said. "It was just a process of coming back just like any other injury. This was my time in which I had to deal with it. I went through it, and now we are here."

As the shroud of uncertainty surrounding his situation continued to swell, Madubuike took to social media to post a cryptic message about getting 'Good news' without any further explanation or context in an attempt to quell some of the negativity.

"I was saying 'good news' because there was just a lot of stuff going on — a lot of rumors here and there," Madubuike said. "I just said 'good news' kind of to take away the pressure from whatever people were saying and stuff like that. It kind of was like, 'What does this mean? What does this mean?' I just kind of was in the process of getting back, so it was just kind of a little thing for people to snack on a little bit online."

The Ravens have already ruled him out for the Week 1 opener against the Indianapolis Colts, but the fact that he isn't beginning the regular season on the injured reserve list suggests they're confident that he'll be making his 2026 debut within the first four weeks.

"I'm not going to get into the details of [the injury], but I would definitely say it was pretty grueling," Madubuike said. "I'm looking forward right now. I'm just definitely thankful to be back and looking forward to what is ahead."

Widespread support was key to recovery

Baltimore Ravens defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike (92) celebrates with linebacker Kyle Van Noy and linebacker Odafe Oweh. — Jan 11, 2025; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Ravens defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike (92) celebrates with linebacker Kyle Van Noy (53) and linebacker Odafe Oweh (99) after a tackle against the Pittsburgh Steelers in the third quarter in an AFC wild card game at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

While Madubuike declined to go into any specifics about his particular injury diagnosis in his first time addressing the media since he went down, he did ensure he shouted out and showed appreciation for those in his life both inside and outside the locker room, who were there for him throughout the entire ordeal.

"Everybody just had my back and I felt very supported," Madubuike said. "My faith in the Lord got me through it. My family, my teammates — Marlon [Humphrey] is always calling me, Roquan [Smith], Kyle [Hamilton] — all these guys that I go to battle with every Sunday. They have my back, always checking on me. My family, even people from back home. Definitely my faith and my family, my close friends, my teammates helped me get through it."

The Ravens have had Madubuike on an overly cautious, gradual ramp-up process that just started to include taking part in full-team drills for less than two weeks. Being available for Week 1 always felt like a bit of a stretch, especially given how slowly they've brought him along and the nature of the type of injury he's recovering from.

"It was just about the process of just doing the little things right and not really rushing it but just taking your time, because when you hear about neck injuries and stuff like that, it is pretty serious," Madubuike said. "So, you want to take precautions.

"But right now, I am just in a great place, I am doing the little things right and I am just taking one day at a time. I am feeling good, and I am just happy to be back on the field. Very grateful."

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