Nnamdi Madubuike injury: Ravens place Pro Bowl defensive lineman on injured reserve with neck injury

Bad luck would be better than the luck the Baltimore Ravens have had this year. While turnovers have largely contributed to Baltimore's 1-2 start, poor defensive play is another big reason why John Harbaugh's team is in jeopardy of falling to 1-3 if they lose Sunday's game against the three-time defending AFC champion Chiefs. 

Making Sunday's game even more difficult is the loss of two-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike, who on Saturday was placed on injured reserve along with fellow defensive lineman Broderick Washington Jr. 

Madubuike, who is dealing with a neck injury, had already been ruled out of Sunday's game after he developed symptoms following Baltimore's Week 2 win over the Browns. He was held out of last week's loss to the Lions that saw the Ravens surrender 224 yards on the ground and four touchdowns on 38 carries. 

In addition to his run-stuffing prowess, Madubuike's 21.5 sacks during the 2023 season are more than any defensive tackle over that span, via ESPN. 

The Ravens will likely lean on several players to help deal with the losses of Madubuike and Washington. Among those players are backups John Jenkins and rookie sixth-round pick Aeneas Peebles. Baltimore has also signed 11-year veteran Brent Urban to the 53-man roster. 

Sunday feels like a must-win game for both Baltimore and Kansas City. Like the Ravens, the Chiefs are also 1-2 after starting the season with close losses against the Chargers and the Eagles. Kansas City got its first win of the 2025 season last week against the winless Giants.