The Baltimore Ravens‘ ongoing injury situation with star defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike is looking worse and worse with each update. Coach John Harbaugh has been forced to dance around the specifics of the issue for the past week, citing that he’s not been given clearance to discuss the issue at hand. We know it’s a neck injury. And we know that Harbaugh has already ruled Madubuike out for Sunday’s Week 4 contest against the Kansas City Chiefs.
“I would say I am concerned about (Madubuike’s injury), but I’m not really in a position to comment on it right now. I haven’t been given the ‘OK’ to comment on it at this point,” said Harbaugh on Wednesday. “So he is not going to play this week. I can tell you that. We’re going to have to see going forward when (the medical staff) knows what they need to know.”
Baltimore, in the meantime, has transitioned to adding some contingency plans to the roster. They added veteran defensive tackles Taven Bryan and Josh Tupou to the practice squad. What should Baltimore expect from both?
What should the Ravens expect from their two new faces to the defensive tackle room?
Bob Self/Florida Times-Union
“Taven Bryan’s time with the Colts won’t be remembered fondly by fans but I honestly think the team is more to blame. Bryan is a solid pass rusher at the interior tackle position and had some solid moments in that regard during his time in Indianapolis. A weakness he’s had his entire career, though, has been run defense. Even Taven would admit to that. The Colts, for some reason, tried to turn him into their backup nose tackle. The team found themselves missing a solid option on their roster to fill that void — it went as poorly as one would have imagined. I think he can still be a very productive depth piece for a team that is willing to utilize him on obvious pass downs.”
— Destin Adams, A to Z Sports
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Meanwhile, Tupou is a nose tackle through and through. He should be considered an insurance policy to veteran John Jenkins on the 53-man roster. Tupou most recently played in three games with the Ravens in 2024, posting 61 total snaps of defensive work. The fact that Baltimore stocked up on two players for the defensive interior could be a bad sign for Baltimore beyond their troubles with Madubuike, too. Both Travis Jones and Broderick Washington were also listed as non-participants in Wednesday’s practice.
Tupou’s experience with Baltimore last year could earn him a fast-track opportunity to a game day elevation if the Ravens find themselves undermanned on the interior in Week 4 against the Chiefs for a pivotal matchup of AFC powers struggling early in 2025.
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This story was originally reported by A to Z Sports on Sep 25, 2025, where it first appeared in the NFL section. Add A to Z Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.