Baltimore Ravens defensive lineman Justin Madubuike is slated to become one of the top free agents on the market in a couple of weeks, but the Ravens don’t seem keen on letting him get that far.
General manager Eric DeCosta spoke with the media at the NFL Scouting Combine on Tuesday and said that Baltimore is working on a long-term deal with Madubuike.
“We’re trying to get a deal done,” DeCosta said, via Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk. “We’ve had discussions with Justin. He’s a guy that has obviously put himself in a fortuitous position this year by the way that he played. Had a great season for us, he’s a valued player on the team and we’re hopeful we can get a long-term deal done.”
And if the Ravens can’t reach a long-term agreement with Madubuike? Then DeCosta says that the team will probably slap a franchise tag on him.
So, it’s looking more and more like Madubuike will be playing for Baltimore in 2024, much to the chagrin of many other clubs in dire need of a dominant presence along their defensive front.
Madubuike is coming off of a breakout 2023 campaign in which he played every game and racked up 56 tackles, 13 sacks and a forced fumble en route to a Pro Bowl appearance.
The 26-year-old, who played his collegiate football at Texas A&M, was selected by the Ravens in the third round of the 2020 NFL Draft.
He appeared in 10 contests during his rookie year, logging just 19 tackles and one sack. He showed some progression in his sophomore season, finishing with 36 tackles and a couple of sacks.
Madubuike then finally demonstrated signs of a breakthrough in 2022, when he registered 42 tackles and 5.5 sacks. That set him up for a monstrous 2023 season.
Baltimore went 13-4 this past year and ultimately lost to the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game. The Ravens are still looking to make it over the hump, and having Justin Madubuike back in the fold for 2024 will certainly be key in helping them do that.
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