As the Baltimore Ravens prepare for free agency and the draft, team officials are unsure whether they will have a major void in the middle of their defensive line.
As the Ravens have said for the past six months, they don't know whether Pro Bowl defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike will be dominating the defensive front. Baltimore is still waiting on doctors to determine whether Madubuike can continue playing after missing the last 15 games last season because of a neck injury.
"There are a lot of unknowns when you build a team, and sometimes -- I learned from [executive vice president] Ozzie [Newsome] -- sometimes, the best thing to do is just wait for more information, and that's what we'll continue to do," Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta said at the NFL combine.
Madubuike, 28, has been one of the most disruptive interior defensive linemen in the league. He went from being a third-round pick in 2020 to a two-time Pro Bowler who signed a four-year, $98 million extension before the 2024 season.
From the start of 2023 until he was placed on injured reserve Sept. 27, Madubuike's 21.5 sacks were the most by an NFL defensive tackle. His 69 career quarterback hits are the most on the Ravens since 2020.
There has been increased uncertainty about Madubuike's future because few details have emerged about his status since he reported symptoms of his neck injury to the team after a 41-17 win over the Cleveland Browns in Week 2. The Ravens have been hesitant to address the injury, and Madubuike has not spoken to reporters since the injury.
In one of his few social media posts, Madubuike wrote "Good news" on Jan. 30 with the prayer hands emoji. Madubuike then visited the Ravens facility recently.
At the NFL combine last week, DeCosta and Ravens coach Jesse Minter declined to provide any updates on Madubuike.
"You keep the players' health and long-term longevity at the forefront of anything, and so, that's what we'll do," Minter said. "We will have multiple plans in place, but just excited for him. He's in a great frame of mind right now. He's excited, so just excited to see how it all shakes out."
Madubuike's $22 million salary in 2026 is guaranteed, and his $30.975 cap hit is the third highest on the team. He is under contract through the 2027 season.
Baltimore has already taken steps to address the defensive line. Before the season ended, the Ravens signed extensions with rising star nose tackle Travis Jones (three years, $40.5 million) and veteran John Jenkins (one year, $1.95 million).
The only other experienced defensive linemen on the roster are Broderick Washington, who could be a salary cap cut this month, Aeneas Peebles and CJ Okoye.
But if Madubuike isn't returning, the Ravens will need a bigger move along the defensive line. Without Madubuike for most of last season, Baltimore struggled to get consistent pressure on quarterbacks and finished with 30 sacks, its fewest in 15 years.
Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti said there was a "domino effect" for not having Madubuike last season. Bisciotti made the point that outside linebacker Kyle Van Noy went from a career-high 12.5 sacks in 2024 to two sacks in 2025 because Madubuike wasn't there to draw double-teams.
"Not having Nnamdi this year was a horrible situation for our team," DeCosta said at the end-of-season news conference. "I think it affected us in different ways -- in many ways. He is a great player, a great person [and] a special person. [We are] still working through a lot of his different ideas and things [so] that we can hopefully get more and more information about his situation."