Baltimore Ravens president Sashi Brown was noncommittal when asked about the return of Nnamdi Madubuike.
There have been reports that Baltimore Ravens defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike could be on track to return in 2026, but nothing has been corroborated by the team yet.
While Madubuike has been posting workout videos amid rumors of a return, Ravens president Sashi Brown was noncommittal when asked about the defender's playing future.
Madubuike was one of the main reasons why the defense worked together during the 2023 and 2024 seasons, and especially in the pass rush. Opposing offenses had to worry about the All-Pro defensive tackle, leaving linebacker Kyle Van Noy to get loose and secure his own sacks.
Unfortunately, Madubuike suffered a neck injury during Week 2 of the 2025 season and never returned. The significance of the injury has also led to questions regarding his chances to play football again, which continue to receive differing updates.
Brown was asked point-blank about the future of Madubuike, and he offered a noncommittal response on the matter.
The Athletic's Jeff Zrebiec asked Brown about the future of Madubuike and was met with a response that may not offer much hope in the form of a return.
"Too early to express any optimism or pessimism," is what Brown told Zrebiec, and he also indicated he was in constant communication with general manager Eric DeCosta regarding updates.
The Ravens are likely to draft some defensive tackle help in the draft, whether or not Madubuike returns or not. The team also brought in former Baltimore defender D.J. Reader for a visit, though a contract did not come of it.
Reader is unlikely to sign with the Ravens or any other team for that matter, as the 2026 NFL Draft is weeks away. Teams will most likely see how their draft boards shake out before they bring in more veteran talent.
Reader could be a solid addition, and DeCosta continuing the team's free agency looks is good news and goes against his typical nature of just trying to rebuild roster holes through the draft.
The team did land Trey Hendrickson, who will certainly transform the defense in a major way, but there needs to be more pass rush and run stoppers for the Ravens to work with.
Reader could be a big piece for that, as could the young talent the Ravens bring in from the draft. Either way, it does not sound that likely that Madubuike will be back in 2026, though his return has not been shut down just yet.