Chandler Martin Takes First Steps Back at Ravens OTAs as ACL Rehab Continues

Baltimore, MD — Linebacker Chandler Martin, wearing No. 48, stepped onto the Under Armour Performance Center practice field Tuesday for the first organized football activity since tearing his left ACL against Cincinnati last November, catching passes during the Ravens’ OTA session as he works toward a projected return for the 2026 season.

Martin, 23, signed a two-year futures deal with the Philadelphia Eagles in March, but the second-year off-ball linebacker was back in Baltimore this week on a medical/hardship exemption, allowing him to continue supervised rehab under Ravens supervision. An undrafted Memphis product who spent 2024 on Baltimore’s practice squad, Martin was elevated for three games and logged 34 special-teams snaps before the Week 13 injury.

The torn ACL, suffered Nov. 27, typically requires a nine-month recovery, placing full clearance near the start of the 2026 campaign. Tuesday’s on-field work was limited to non-contact route-running and catching, yet it represented a milestone for the 5-foot-11, 229-pound defender who piled up 206 tackles, 10 sacks and three forced fumbles in 26 games after transferring from East Tennessee State to Memphis.

Agent Joe Linta confirmed the Eagles’ two-year commitment signals long-term interest once Martin regains full strength. Philadelphia lost starter Nakobe Dean in free agency and projects Jihaad Campbell opposite Zack Baun, though Campbell is recovering from offseason surgery and has missed OTAs and minicamp. Jeremiah Trotter Jr., Smael Mondon and Chance Campbell round out the depth chart.

Martin’s instincts and violent playing style drew praise from NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein, who labeled him “a banger at inside linebacker” despite size concerns that left him undrafted. Tuesday’s brief reps offered a first glimpse of the rehabbing linebacker’s progress as both Baltimore and Philadelphia monitor his path back to competition.