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The Baltimore Ravens made a lot of roster moves to trim their roster down to 53 players for the beginning of the 2026 NFL season. Of their roster moves, plenty stood out. They traded CJ Okoye to the New York Giants and Diego Pounds to the Kansas City Chiefs, and released plenty of noteworthy players. But the biggest move was one they didn't make. ESPN's Jamison Hensley highlighted the "biggest move" of the 53-man roster cutdowns for Baltimore as their decision with beloved defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike. Instead of placing him on injured reserve, he has a normal roster status. Ravens' decision with Nnamdi Madubuike was 'biggest' of 53-man roster cutdowns "Biggest move: It was the one the Ravens didn't make," Hensley writes. "Baltimore didn't place Pro Bowl defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike on injured reserve, which means he is eligible for the first four games of the regular season." Madubuike suffered a significant neck injury last year, which forced him to miss 15 games to close out the 2025 season for Baltimore. There were some real question marks about whether he'd be back for 2026. Ravens fans have known he'll be back in 2026, but the big question was when his return would actually come. It would not have been a surprise if he began the 2026 season on injured reserve, which would've forced him to miss the Ravens' first four games of the season. MORE: Why Falcons are trading for Gervon Dexter from Bears But with this roster decision from the Ravens keeping him off IR, Madubuike has a real chance to play within those first four weeks. If he were to miss those games, there would be no reason to keep him on the 53-man roster and not place him on IR. So, this lack of a roster move from Baltimore indicates Madubuike can be back within the first four weeks of the year. Getting the 28-year-old beloved defensive tackle back would be huge for the Ravens' defense. He has 30 sacks in his NFL career, including 25 from 2022 through 2024. There are still some questions about the specific date of his return, but this decision from the Ravens likely means Madubuike is poised to return within the first four weeks of the 2026 NFL season. More NFL news: - Why Patriots traded Kayshon Boutte to Texans for Jaylen Reed and a 7th-round draft pick - Deshaun Watson apologizes to Browns fans after criticizing them for booing him - Why Browns are making a massive mistake with Deshaun Watson as QB1 over Shedeur Sanders - Bills to release Mecole Hardman amid 53-man roster cutdowns - Quinn Ewers trade details: Jaguars boost QB room behind Trevor Lawrence in pre-cut deadline deal with Dolphins