The Ravens got a clean opening to Colts week, and that matters.
When Baltimore released its first injury report on Wednesday, every player on the 53-man roster was available. That’s the headline. The fine print is that a handful of important names were still limited, but even that came with some good news: Zay Flowers, Nnamdi Madubuike, Teddye Buchanan and Devontez Walker were all on the field in some capacity as the Ravens started preparing for their Week 1 matchup with the Indianapolis Colts.
For a team that has spent plenty of time talking about injuries, this was a pretty encouraging first step.
Madubuike and Buchanan remain the two biggest question marks. Their situations have been hanging over the offseason, and both are coming off major injuries.
Madubuike hasn’t played in an NFL game since Week 2 because of a neck issue, while Buchanan tore his ACL in Week 15. Even so, neither player landed on IR, and both being in pads now suggests they’re close.
Very close.
That still doesn’t mean Baltimore needs to rush either one back. In fact, caution feels like the smart play here. One limited practice is a start, but a week’s worth of full participation would be a much better sign before either is thrown back into action.
Flowers is the more straightforward case. He’s expected to play, and Baltimore’s $140 million wideout has said he feels better than ever.
Still, hamstring injuries can be tricky for a player who wins with speed and quick cuts, so the question isn’t just whether he suits up Sunday at 1 p.m. It’s how close he’ll be to full strength.
Walker’s situation is newer. Jesse Minter has described the groin issue as minor, and the early signs point toward a return.
Even so, there’s no real reason to force it. He doesn’t appear poised to be a central piece of the offense right away, with Ja’Kobi Lane looking like the WR3 behind Flowers and Rashod Bateman.
If Baltimore wants to give Walker another week, it has that option.
Taken together, the first report gives the Ravens a pretty positive read heading into Week 1. After so much noise around injuries, getting through the first practice with everybody available and several key players already working their way back is a welcome development for Baltimore.
In Other News...
Ravens First Injury Report Puts Key Week 1 Names In Doubt
The first injury report of the 2026 season came with a few familiar names in limited roles, giving Baltimore an early sense of how much sorting out remains before the opener against Indianapolis. Wide receivers Zay Flowers and Devontez Walker were both listed as limited, while defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike and inside linebacker Teddye Buchanan also worked on a reduced basis as the Ravens started their week of preparation.
Flowers is still coming back from a hamstring strain, and Madubuike is continuing his gradual return from neck surgery, which makes his status worth monitoring as kickoff approaches. Indianapolis had its own share of caution on the report, with wide receiver Alec Pierce and safety A.J. Haulcy also limited because of offseason surgeries and injuries, setting up a week where both sides will be watching practice closely. [Read more 🡒]
Former Ravens QB Flop Suddenly Matters To Baltimore Fans Again
Cooper Rush is back in the conversation around Baltimore for a reason nobody saw coming. The former Ravens backup spent his offseason moving on to Atlanta, but after Tua Tagovailoa was injured, Rush has been taking first-team reps in practice and suddenly finds himself in position to possibly open the Falcons Week 1 game against the Steelers.
For Ravens fans, it is the kind of twist that revives an old name for all the wrong reasons and all the right curiosity. Rushs past stint in Baltimore did not leave much of a mark, but his path this week has given him a fresh spotlight, and the final call on Atlantas starter could still reshape how that move is remembered. [Read more 🡒]
Derrick Henrys Ravens Role Could Test One Big Baltimore Gamble
Derrick Henry is back in Baltimore for his age-32 season after back-to-back years of carrying a heavy load and still producing at a high level, and the Ravens are asking him to do plenty again as they settle into a new offense under rookie coordinator Declan Doyle. Henrys role remains central to what Baltimore wants to be, but there is also an understanding inside the building that the run game cannot be asked to solve everything on its own, especially with a system still taking shape around him.
The question now is whether the Ravens gamble holds up once the season starts and the touches pile up. Henry knows the offense has to get better overall, and the opener against the Colts offers an immediate test of how well Baltimore can balance his workload with the rest of the unit while also pressuring a defense that has its own issues to sort out. [Read more 🡒]