Ravens put 2 starting defensive linemen on IR

The Baltimore Ravens have placed Nnamdi Madubuike (neck) and Broderick Washington (knee) on injured reserve ahead of their Week 4 matchup with the Chiefs.

Both defensive tackles will be out for at least four games, which will force the team to rely on their defensive line depth for the next month. That will start with Brent Urban, who was signed to the active roster on Saturday in a corresponding move. The Ravens also elevated C.J. Okoye and Josh Tupou from the practice squad for Sunday’s game in Kansas City.

Madubuike’s absence will be particularly tough to weather, as evidenced by last week’s loss to the Lions. There’s no way to recreate his impact unless at least one other player improves their performance significantly. Without Madubuike on the field, opposing offenses can double-team Travis Jones at will and challenge Baltimore’s other defenders to make plays. Against strong offenses in Weeks 1 and 3, none did.

Losing Washington is a hit to the team’s depth, though he was not off to a great start this year. The sixth-year defensive tackle has not been nearly as productive as the Ravens were hoping when they signed him to a three-year extension in 2023. Washington’s grades from Pro Football Focus have plummeted since then, too; this year, he’s down to a 27.7 for run defense and 30.4 overall, both the lowest of any defensive linemen in the NFL (min. 40 snaps). The Ravens will still need to fill Washington’s snaps moving forward, but it’s entirely possible that his replacement is an improvement.

The long-term outlook for both players remains unclear. While John Harbaugh has declined to offer specifics regarding the nature of Madubuike’s neck injury, but the team is clearly concerned about his future. He’ll likely be out for more than four games.

Harbaugh was more optimistic regarding Washington on Wednesday, but further evaluation seems to have revealed a more significant issue. The Ravens have a bye in Week 7, so Washington’s four-game minimum on the IR won’t elapse until after Week 8. Ideally, he can return to practice as soon as he’s eligible and suit up in Week 9; even more ideally, he’ll come back with improved play relative to his recent performance.