Mark Andrews has had a memorable run with the Baltimore Ravens. His last play might be one to forget.
The tight end, selected in the third round of the 2018 NFL Draft, finished his seventh season with the club this past season. Andrews is the franchise’s career leader in receiving touchdowns (51) and is second in receiving yards (5,530). He’s been selected to three Pro Bowls, and in 2021, he was named First-Team All-Pro.
What Ravens GM Eric DeCosta Said About Mark Andrews
Nevertheless, Andrews’ time with the Ravens might be coming to an end.
Baltimore general manager Eric DeCosta wasn’t exactly assuring about the prospect of Andrews being back in 2025.
“[Y]ou never know,” said DeCosta, referring to any moves which might be made before next week’s NFL draft.
This is widely regarded as a deep tight-end draft class, with several high-end talents such as Miami’s Elijah Arroyo, Bowling Green’s Harold Fannin Jr., Oregon’s Terrance Ferguson, Texas’ Gunnar Helm, Michigan’s Colston Loveland, LSU’s Mason Taylor, and Penn State’s Tyler Warren expected to be selected in the first two days.
That means Andrews’ replacement – a younger, cheaper one at that – could be found. DeCosta praised Andrews but certainly left the door open for a changing of the guard at tight end.
“His competitiveness, his talent, his attitude, his leadership is so valued here,” DeCosta said. “He’s a great player. And I think we’re in the business of keeping as many great players as we can. So, there’s always a lot of unpredictability with the draft. You just never know.”
Andrews had 11 receiving touchdowns in 2024, which was fourth most in the NFL and three more than any other tight end, to go with 55 receptions and 673 yards.
But Andrews muffed the final ball thrown his way. In the AFC Divisional Round game in Buffalo, Andrews dropped a two-point conversion pass with 1:33 which would have tied the game. Instead, the Bills recovered an onside kick and ran out the clock to move on and face Kansas City in the AFC Championship Game.
Andrews is in the final year of his contract, which will count almost $17 million towards the cap in 2025 if Baltimore retains him. Cutting or trading him would save the Ravens $11 million, with nearly $6 million in dead money.
The Ravens also have tight ends Isaiah Likely, who caught 42 passes for 477 yards with six TDs, and Charlie Kolar, a 2022 fourth-round pick who had 62 catches for 765 yards and six touchdowns as a senior at Iowa State but has only 20 receptions in his first three NFL seasons.
