Nnamdi Madubuike’s return to full football work is moving faster than the Ravens initially expected, and Baltimore now has a clearer idea of when its star defensive tackle could be back in the mix.
Head coach Jesse Minter said the team is looking at “ballpark, next couple weeks” for Madubuike to begin working himself back in, according to Luke Jones. Minter also stressed that both sides are being careful about the pace of the recovery: “Both sides [are] really putting their heads together and making sure that we're doing it at a rate that everybody feels good and confident in,” Luke Jones reported that Minter said. “I would say, ballpark, next couple weeks, he'll be starting to work himself back in there.”
Madubuike, who made back-to-back Pro Bowl teams in 2023 and 2024, has been working his way back from a neck injury that limited him to just two games last year and shut his season down on Sept. 29, 2025. The injury also put his career as a whole in jeopardy.
He underwent surgery in April 2026, which kept him out of full-contact work during training camp. But there are signs of progress: Madubuike was recently activated off the PUP list and has been spotted doing individual drills with defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver.
For a Ravens defense that has long been one of the league’s best, getting Madubuike back sooner rather than later would be a major lift. Baltimore also got encouraging news in the secondary, with Marlon Humphrey and Nate Wiggins both returning to practice after injury scares kept them out of the team’s first preseason game of the year.
In Other News...
Ravens Faith In Tyler Loop Is Facing Real Pressure Now
Tyler Loops early run with the Ravens has already carried the kind of scrutiny that comes with every kicker job in Baltimore, where one miss can quickly turn into a bigger conversation. Late-season misses in 2025 only sharpened the attention on his leg, especially from distance, but the team has kept showing patience as it evaluates whether he can be the answer under pressure.
Jesse Minter has pointed to Loops work in camp as a reason for optimism, and the Ravens have continued to back him without making an immediate change. Still, the lack of long-range consistency has made the situation worth watching, and if the struggles linger, Baltimore may be pushed to test the market and bring in some real competition. [Read more 🡒]
Ravens Mourn One Of The Most Revered Figures In Team History
OJ Brigance was more than a former Ravens player. He was part of the organizations Super Bowl-winning foundation, then became a long-time mentor and leader in player engagement, remaining closely connected to the franchise through years of work and perspective that teammates and staff leaned on. Brigance died this week at age 56 after battling ALS for 19 years, leaving behind a legacy that stretched far beyond his time on the field.
For Baltimore, his influence was as much about how he carried himself as what he accomplished. The Ravens and their leadership paid tribute to him, underscoring the way he shaped the teams culture and the reach of his Brigance Brigade Foundation, which supported ALS patients and their families. In a building that has seen its share of memorable figures, Brigance stood out as one of the most revered. [Read more 🡒]