nfl

Nnamdi Madubuike's future remains in doubt

Ravens defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike injured his neck in Week 2 and has not played since. He may never play again.

His future remains in question five months after his injury.

"I love Nnamdi, but I have no updates at this time," General Manager Eric DeCosta said Tuesday.

The Ravens have been hesitant to discuss Madubuike since his injury, with John Harbaugh and DeCosta sidestepping questions during the season. Now, it's new coach Jesse Minter and DeCosta declining to go into detail with carefully worded answers.

Minter said he has talked to Madubuike since taking the job.

"I think that'll be up to him when the time's right," Minter said. "I know he's in great spirits, and it was great to see him in the building last week or the week prior. We'll keep the rest of that private."

Madubuike, a two-time Pro Bowler, has two years remaining on a four-year, $98 million extension. His 2026 base salary of $22 million is fully guaranteed, and he has a salary cap hit of $31 million.

DeCosta said the uncertainty of Madubuike's situation won't affect their offseason plans.

"It doesn't affect me very much," DeCosta said. "I think if we have the chance to draft a great defensive tackle, of course we will. It is one of the most important positions in football.

"Salary cap-wise, it doesn't have any major impact on us at this time. 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."

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