The Baltimore Ravens held a relatively uneventful practice on Monday afternoon, but head coach Jesse Minter did offer some key injury updates at the podium.
Chief among them was a confirmation that center Danny Pinter did suffer a “season-ending” injury during last week’s joint practices with the Minnesota Vikings.
“My heart goes out to him,” Minter said. “Just the opportunity, him coming here knowing the situation we had, kind of earning the opportunity to potentially be a starter…I definitely feel
for a guy like that in that situation.”
Pinter, 30, reportedly suffered a torn patella tendon in his right knee, though the Ravens have declined to comment on the exact diagnosis. The team will now turn to Jovaughn Gwyn and Ethan Pocic as the primary candidates to be the Week 1 starting center. Minter praised both on Monday, highlighting Gwyn’s athleticism and noting that Pocic “really asserted himself into that competition” over the last week.
Defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike also took a significant step forward in his ramp-up process as he works his way back to 100% following last year’s neck injury and multiple subsequent surgeries. Since being activated off the physically unable to perform list at the start of camp, Madubuike has participated in warm-ups with his teammates as well as any defensive line work that did not involve contact before splitting off for individual conditioning and/or technical work for the rest of practice.
But on Monday, Madubuike hit the sled for the first time (during a media viewing of practice). After a neck injury, that is no small milestone, especially with how carefully the Ravens have handled his return to the field.
Minter said after practice that Madubuike is “in a great place,” but did not have a “definitive answer” regarding his star defender’s Week 1 availability.
Barring a rapid acceleration in his ramp-up process, Madubuike seems unlikely to be ready for Baltimore’s regular season opener against the Indianapolis Colts on September 13 if he is only hitting a sled three weeks out from the game. A more relevant question is whether or not he will go on injured reserve during final roster cuts on Sunday. That would allow him to continue his rehab without counting against the 53-man roster; however, he would be unable to practice with his teammates until after Week 4. The Ravens may prefer that Madubuike start to mix in with his teammates in the next month with the hopes of making his 2026 debut sooner rather than later.
Minter confirmed that the Ravens left Minnesota without any other significant injuries outside of Pinter’s, though a handful of players did miss some or all of Monday’s practice. They are:
- WR Zay Flowers
- OLB Zion Young
- DT Calais Campbell
- S K’Von Wallace
- CB Keyon Martin
- LB Jamon Johnson
- LB Reid Williford
- LB Carl Jones Jr.
Additionally, CB Bilhal Kone and WRs Dayton Wade, Octavian Smith, and Xavier Guillory all left practice early, though Guillory returned later in the session.
The Ravens will have a walkthrough on Tuesday with all three coordinators and linebacker Trenton Simpson speaking at the podium. Then, on Wednesday, the Washington Commanders will be at The Castle for a joint practice with Minter, Lamar Jackson, and Trey Hendrickson speaking at the podium.
