While speculation swirled about whether Nnamdi Madubuike would play football again following a season-ending neck injury, Madubuike stayed quiet.
In his mind, there was never a question.
Speaking for the first time since last September, Madubuike respectfully declined to share any specifics about the injury itself, but did push back on the notion that his career was in jeopardy.
"There are a lot of rumors out there, but I always knew I was going to be back," Madubuike said. "It was just a process of coming back just like any other injury. This was my time in which I had to deal with it. I went through it, and now we are here."
Madubuike won't play in Sunday's season-opener in Indianapolis, Head Coach Jesse Minter announced Friday. The Ravens and Madubuike have taken his ramp-up slowly throughout training camp, and he's been back in 11-on-11 team drills for just two weeks.
Though Minter said he's "really, really close," to returning, Madubuike and the Ravens will wait at least another week before taking the final step into game action. Barring any setbacks, he'll be back sometime within the Ravens' first four games.
Madubuike said the injury, which sidelined him after just two games last season, was "definitely one of the hardest points of my life."
"I'm not going to get into the details of it, but I would definitely say it was pretty grueling," Madubuike said. "I'm looking forward right now. I'm just definitely thankful to be back and looking forward to what is ahead."
Madubuike thanked the Ravens organization, teammates, family and friends for helping him get through it. Madubuike particularly shouted out teammates Marlon Humphrey, Kyle Hamilton and Roquan Smith for calling to check on him.
"Everybody just had my back and I felt very supported," Madubuike said. "I'm at a point now where I'm really just ramping up and getting it at a great spot. I believe and I think everybody can agree in the building that I'm in a really great spot right now."
Madubuike retook the field at the start training camp, but only stretched with the team before running on the side. He worked his way up to individual drills and eventually hitting the sled. Over the past two weeks, Minter said Madubuike has taken a lot of practice reps with the full team, including contact, double teams, pass rush, etc.
"It was just about the process of just doing the little things right and not really rushing it but just taking your time, because when you hear about neck injuries and stuff like that, it is pretty serious," Madubuike said. "So, you want to take precautions."
It was a long road back, which, according to reports, included neck surgery in April. One of the few clues Madubuike offered up that he would be back came on Jan. 30, when he tweeted “good news” with prayer hands. He called that a "snack" for Ravens fans.
The Ravens' defensive line is going to have a feast when Madubuike makes his full return. He led all defensive tackles in sacks with 13 in 2023 and followed that up with 6.5 sacks in 2024.
The Ravens fully realized Madubuike's impact when he was gone, and Madubuike gained a new appreciation for football after missing so much time. He said he thinks about hitting another player "all the time" and feels like the more he thinks about it, the closer it gets.
"But right now, I am just in a great place, I am doing the little things right and I am just taking one day at a time," he said. "I am feeling good, and I am just happy to be back on the field. Very grateful."
Minter Sees 'No Perfect Answer' for Rio Travel
The first international NFL game of the season has reignited questions about what's the best course of action for team travel.
The San Francisco 49ers dominated the rival Los Angeles Rams, 27-7, in Melbourne, Australia. Their travel plans couldn't have been more different.
The 49ers flew out eight days before their Sept. 10 game, arriving early in hopes of adjusting to the 17-hour time difference. The Rams flew out Wednesday evening, arriving the day before the game.
The Ravens fly to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, for a Week 3 game against the Dallas Cowboys, and Minter said he feels just as good about his plans now as he did before the 49ers-Rams game.
"I have a ton of respect for both of those coaches and both those organizations making decisions that they felt was best for their particular teams. That is the same thing we will do," Minter said. "We have put a lot of time looking into it."
Minter and the Los Angeles Chargers played in Sao Paulo, Brazil last year in the regular-season opener against the Kansas City Chiefs. The Chargers, who crossed more time zones than the Ravens will, flew out three days before the game and won.
"This one is a little bit more unique in a sense that it is a long flight, but it is only a one-hour time difference," Minter said. "So, I think there is a little bit of [ability] to keep a little bit of your week similar, and trying to figure out when to fly is probably the biggest challenge. So, we feel good about what we are going to do.
"I don't think there is a perfect answer for any of that stuff. It is all about how the team plays when the ball is kicked off. So, we feel good about that though."
