Ravens Could Lighten Star DT's Workload

Nnamdi Madubuike is the clear standout on the Baltimore Ravens' defensive line, but the cold, harsh reality is that he can't be on the field constantly.

Madubuike, 27, played a career-high 812 defensive snaps in 2024. He also played the fifth most snaps of anyone on defense, and the second most in the front seven behind Roquan Smith (992).

While Madubuike managed his heavy workload well, defensive line coach Dennis Johnson is open to reducing his snap count to keep him fresh for the most important moments.

"You don't want to get it too high, in general," Johnson told reporters Monday. "[He] played it well. Obviously, I wish I could take some of those snaps off, but when the game is on the line or it's close in the fourth quarter, you're probably not going to look at the snap reps. You're going to make sure Nnamdi is out there to help you close the game out."

"You've got to get off the field early to help get those numbers down, but, over the season, it adds up. They're elite athletes, but I was proud of him, and I thought he did well towards the back end."

It surely doesn't help that Madubuike was double teamed at a far higher rate than ever before, so even though he only played 55 more snaps in 2024 than in 2023, he was getting physical with opposing linemen much more frequently.

Even though his sack total dropped from 13 in 2023 to 6.5 in 2024, Madubuike still had a successful season overall. He was still a major piece of the pass rush, he simply allowed his teammates to finish the job more often than before. Of course, he was also solid in run defense as well.

The Ravens would love to have Madubuike on the field all the time, but if resting him more means he'll be at the best in the biggest moments, they'll be happy to do so.