Ravens Officially Rule Out Two Defensive Starters For Week 1

The Baltimore Ravens officially ruled out LB Teddye Buchanan and DT Nnamdi Madubuike for Week 1. 

Baltimore placed Madubuike on the PUP in July and activated him a short time later. Jeff Zrebiec reported it would only be for a short time for him on the injured list. 

Madubuike suffered a season-ending and career-threatening neck injury in Week 2 last season. Zrebiec shared that he’s been cleared by independent spine and cervical doctors to return to the field.

Zrebiec did share that been cleared by independent spine and cervical doctors to return to the field and could be practicing as early as next week.

Buchanan suffered a torn ACL last year, cutting his rookie season short after 14 games.

In July, Ravens GM Eric DeCosta said on 105.7 The Fan that he believes they will see Buchanan “sooner than later” and his rehab was among the top one percent of all rehabs he’s seen during his time with the team. 

The standard timeline for a torn ACL is nine to 12 months after surgery. Buchanan’s injury was in early December, and he had surgery about a month later in early January, which would put him back at some point after Week 1. 

Madubuike, 27, was a third-round pick by the Ravens out of Texas A&M back in 2020. He signed a four-year rookie deal with the Ravens worth $4,853,308, including a $1,089,680 signing bonus, $1,089,680 guaranteed, and an average annual salary of $1,213,327. 

The Ravens franchised Madubuike in 2024 but then signed him to a long-term deal for four years, worth $98.5 million

In 2025, Madubuike appeared in two games for the Ravens and recorded two sacks, as well as seven combined tackles.

Buchanan, 23, was a fourth-round pick by the Ravens in the 2025 NFL Draft out of California. He signed a four-year, $5,102,896 rookie contract through 2028 that included a signing bonus of $902,896. 

In 2025, Buchanan appeared in 14 games for the Ravens and recorded 93 total tackles, five tackles for loss, one pass defended and one forced fumble.