Mark Andrews

Mark Andrews To Undergo Surgery; Ravens TE Has Outside Chance To Return In 2023

NOVEMBER 21: Andrews will end up undergoing surgery, with NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo indicating that operation will take place Tuesday in Charlotte. The sixth-year tight end missing the rest of the season remains the most likely scenario, though Garafolo adds he still may have an outside chance to come back if the Ravens make a deep playoff run.

NOVEMBER 20: Thursday night’s AFC North matchup cost the Bengals their quarterback and sidelined the Ravens’ top pass catcher as well. Baltimore, however, is not giving up on Mark Andrews playing again this season.

Although Andrews suffered ligament damage and a cracked fibula, John Harbaugh said Monday the injury is not as a bad as initially feared. Pointing to the damage being cleaner than expected, the 16th-year Ravens HC said (via The Athletic’s Jeff Zrebiec) an outside chance exists Andrews will be able to return this season.

An Andrews return would not be in play until the playoffs, and NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport adds a deep playoff run may be required for an Andrews comeback to commence. But Andrews having a potential reentry point represents positive news for the AFC North-leading team. Andrews will meet with foot specialist Dr. Robert Anderson this week, per Harbaugh. That will provide more clarity on the potential return window. Until that appointment, however, Harbaugh is limiting optimism here, per ESPN.com’s Jamison Hensley.

Andrews, 28, has never missed more than two games in a season. That run of relatively good health will test the Ravens in a different way moving forward. The team has second-year cog Isaiah Likely in place as its top pass-catching tight end beyond Andrews, but perhaps more importantly, its cadre of wide receivers is healthy as well. The team has seen Zay Flowers become an impact rookie, and Odell Beckham Jr. has showed improvement in recent weeks. Rashod Bateman and Nelson Agholor are available, with each scoring a touchdown in the Ravens’ Week 11 win over the Bengals. Lamar Jackson will likely need to lean on his deeper collection of wideouts during Andrews’ lengthy upcoming absence.

The 49ers found themselves in a similar situation last year, with Jimmy Garoppolo having an outside chance to come back from his early-December Jones fracture. The injuries are obviously not the same, but San Francisco did not move its then-starter to IR in an effort to keep that scenario on the table. Last year’s 49ers were in worse shape in terms of IR activations compared to these Ravens, who have five remaining. The team hopes David Ojabo will represent one such activation, but it should be expected Andrews will be placed on IR. A return would, then, require an activation.

Becoming a top-tier tight end early in his career, Andrews has been Jackson’s lead target for most of the former MVP’s run as the Ravens’ starter. The former third-round pick has a 1,300-yard season under his belt, and that came during a 2021 campaign in which Jackson did not finish. Even after Andrews missed Week 1 and went down early in Week 11, his 544 receiving yards per game are third among tight ends this season — behind only T.J. Hockenson and Travis Kelce. It is a near-certainty Andrews will not add to that total this season, but with more than two months until the divisional round, a door is open to playoff contributions taking place.

Ravens Not Expecting Mark Andrews To Return This Season

2:48pm: An MRI has revealed a cracked fibula in addition to the ankle ligament damage, Rapoport tweets. With a slightly clearer picture, Andrews is still unlikely to play again in 2023, though further information will be gathered soon. Rapoport adds the Ravens will meet with Dr. Robert Anderson in Charlotte next week to devise a firm course of action. More will likely be known then regarding a recovery timeline.

8:21am: The early-game injury Mark Andrews sustained Thursday night is expected to result in the Pro Bowl tight end missing the rest of the season, according to John Harbaugh.

Andrews is believed to have suffered a high ankle sprain and more damage, per NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (video link). This will be new territory for the Ravens, who have relied on Andrews throughout the Lamar Jackson era. The former third-round pick has never previously missed more than two games in a season.

A hip-drop tackle from Bengals linebacker Logan Wilson left Andrews in pain after a first-quarter reception. The Ravens quickly ruled Andrews out during a game that featured high-profile injuries. The extent of Joe Burrow‘s wrist injury is not fully known, while Jackson returned to action after a Wilson tackle led him into the medical tent. Despite the Ravens pulling away against a Jake Browning-dependent Bengals outfit, they came out of the Week 11 divisional matchup worse off.

Andrews is set for an MRI on Friday morning. This purely being a high ankle sprain would not stand to end Andrews’ season, but the potential ligament damage here resides as the chief concern. Andrews is not currently leading the Ravens in receiving yards, which marks a change from the norm. Zay Flowers exited Week 11 with 588, but Andrews (544, six TDs) has proven indispensable during Jackson’s tenure. As the team has struggled to identify steady receiving talent in recent years, Andrews morphing from a No. 86 overall pick into one of the NFL’s best tight ends has been pivotal for Jackson’s growth as a passer.

The Ravens have Isaiah Likely and fellow 2022 fourth-rounder Charlie Kolar as Andrews backups. Andrews, 28, is attached to a four-year, $56MM extension he signed during his dominant 2021 season. That deal runs through 2025. Flashing immediate potential, Likely finished with 36 receptions for 373 receiving yards and three touchdowns as a rookie. The Coastal Carolina alum is poised to step in as the Ravens’ lead receiving tight end moving forward.

Choosing Andrews two rounds after picking Hayden Hurst in 2018, the Ravens quickly determined the Oklahoma product had considerable potential. The Ravens later traded Hurst to the Falcons, but Andrews had already taken off as the team’s top option by that point. Breaking through with a 10-touchdown campaign during Jackson’s superstar turn in 2019, Andrews has three Pro Bowls on his resume. He led all tight ends with 1,361 yards in 2021, doing so despite Jackson missing a chunk of that season.

Andrews has not always led the Ravens in receiving yardage during his career, with Marquise Brown doing so twice, but there has not been any doubt as to the team’s most important pass catcher. The Ravens have chosen three first-round wideouts since drafting Andrews while throwing free agency resources at the position. Jackson has shown a steady rapport with Andrews, with the standout QB’s immediate dejection upon seeing the sixth-year tight end go down an ominous sign of the ensuing fallout. Baltimore’s wide receivers will now become a bigger part of the division-leading team’s equation.

The Ravens have assembled a deeper receiving corps compared to recent years, signing both Odell Beckham Jr. and Nelson Agholor and then using their first-round pick on Flowers. The Boston College product appears to be a hit, and the team still has 2021 first-rounder Rashod Bateman available. Bateman has battled injuries throughout his career and was on the shelf with a season-ending foot injury at this time last year. All four of Baltimore’s top wideouts are healthy at this point; that will be critical in the Ravens’ quest to win their first division title since 2019.

Ravens Not Looking Externally For RB Help

The Ravens were forced to swallow a heavy pill when starting running back J.K. Dobbins suffered a torn Achilles tendon during the team’s win over the Texans this weekend. For solutions, many thought to look at the free agent or trade market, both of which are ripe with talented veterans, but head coach John Harbaugh said today that Baltimore will not be looking externally for running back help, according to Jamison Hensley of ESPN.

With options like Kareem Hunt and Leonard Fournette in free agency and a player like Jonathan Taylor reportedly available via trade, no one would blame Harbaugh and company for bringing in an experienced starter to tote the rock. Instead, the Ravens feel confident in the options they have in-house to take over with Harbaugh even indicating that they will be operating with a committee in the backfield.

When Dobbins exited Sunday’s game, fifth-year backup Justice Hill stepped in and immediately scored a touchdown, his first since the 2019 season. While he later scored a second touchdown, matching his career-high for a season, Hill only amassed nine yards on eight carries. Veteran backup rusher Gus Edwards, who has filled in as a starter at times in his career, was a bit more productive with his eight carries, racking up 32 yards.

Adding veterans didn’t quite deliver the desired result two years ago when Dobbins, Edwards, and Hill all missed the 2021 season with season-ending injuries before the year even began. That year, Baltimore turned to a committee featuring veteran backs like Devonta Freeman, Latavius Murray, and Le’Veon Bell in conjunction with Ty’Son Williams. Freeman and Murray each reached 500 rushing yards and delivered six scores apiece, but overall, the running game was dependent on quarterback Lamar Jackson.

Still, the Ravens added veteran rusher Melvin Gordon in the offseason, ultimately cutting him and signing him to the practice squad before the regular season. Gordon seems like an obvious callup to help carry the load without Dobbins. The Ravens also saw some impressive preseason performances from undrafted rookies Keaton Mitchell and Owen Wright, landing both on the team’s roster in some capacity to start the year. Mitchell currently resides on injured reserve himself, so he’s unable to contribute at this time. Wright, though, landed on the practice squad and may also hear his number called up to the active roster this season.

Dobbins is now expected to undergo surgery to repair his Achilles tendon this Friday, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. Pelissero points out that Rams running back Cam Akers recovered from a similar surgery in less than six months two years ago. Dobbins will be aiming for a similar timeline, bringing him back shortly after the start of the 2024 league year.

In other injury news, Harbaugh confirmed that starting free safety Marcus Williams “will be out for a while” after suffering a pectoral muscle injury, according to Ravens editorial director Ryan Mink. Williams missed seven games in his Baltimore debut last year and will be forced to miss more in 2023, but the team is holding out hope that he will not be out for the season. He’ll be forced to make a decision soon on whether or not he will undergo surgery, as well.

In Williams’ absence, the team turned to Geno Stone yesterday. Stone started the seven games missed by Williams last year, as well. The team also has versatile defensive backs Brandon Stephens and Ar’Darius Washington that they can turn to. Stephens recently moved back to safety after spending time at cornerback when the depth chart was thin there. Washington has always been a safety but got extensive work in the slot this offseason.

Starting left tackle Ronnie Stanley and center Tyler Linderbaum suffered a sprained knee and ankle, respectively, forcing them both to leave the game early, as well. Both players are reportedly “week-to-week” but could miss the trip to Cincinnati this Sunday. Versatile sixth-man Patrick Mekari stepped in for Stanley yesterday and is an easy choice to start as an injury replacement as he’s done so often in the past. Offseason addition and practice squad callup Sam Mustipher filled in at center and will likely continue to do so, if needed.

The team will certainly hope that they won’t need to rely on Mekari and Mustipher for too long, and though they are clearly missing many bodies for the upcoming matchup with their division-rival, they’ll hope to get some back, too. Both cornerback Marlon Humphrey and tight end Mark Andrews will have a chance to play this weekend. There’s still work to be done, but things have been looking up recently for both players.

NFL Injury Updates: Armstead, Andrews, Waller, Okudah, Moss

The Dolphins are expected to be productive on offense with a healthy Tua Tagovailoa under center, but protection for him up front will be critical to his success. Miami will be shorthanded up front to begin the campaign.

Left tackle Terron Armstead is out for the Dolphins’ opener against the Chargers, as noted by NFL Network’s Cameron Wolfe. The four-time Pro Bowler is dealing with back, knee and ankle injuries and has not practiced since August 16. He was carted off the field that day, which represented a setback from his ongoing recovery from offseason knee surgery.

Armstead, 32, expressed optimism that he would be healthy in time for Week 1 before suffering the new injuries last month. His absence will be sorely missed given his importance to the team as a high-end blocker when available, and the five-year, $75MM pact he signed with the Dolphins last offseason. Wolfe notes that veteran Kendall Lamm is expected to get the nod in place of Armstead.

Here are some other injury updates in advance of Sunday’s action:

  • The focal point of the Ravens‘ new-look passing game will likely not be in action tomorrow. Tight end Mark Andrews was listed as questionable on the team’s final injury report, but he is not expected to play against the Texans, reports NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. The three-time Pro Bowler has been dealing with a quad injury recently, but he practiced on a limited basis each day this week. If he does indeed miss the contest, Baltimore will turn to 2022 draftees Isaiah Likely and Charlie Kolar at the TE spot, while leaning on a revamped receiver room which added Odell Beckham Jr. and first-round rookie Zay Flowers in the offseason.
  • Darren Waller‘s Giants debut may be delayed. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports that the 30-year-old is dealing with a hamstring injury, and his availability for Monday night against the Cowboys is in question. Waller is no stranger to hamstring issues, and they caused signficant missed time during his Raiders tenure. Upon being traded to New York, he received an opportunity to serve as the team’s top pass-catcher, so any absence would deal a blow to the Giants’ offense. 2022 fourth-rounder Daniel Bellinger would take on an increased role at the TE spot if Waller were unable to play.
  • Cornerback Jeff Okudah has been ruled out by the Falcons, Wolfe notes. The former No. 3 pick had a disappointing run in Detroit which included a number of significant injuries, one of which was a 2021 Achilles tear. Plenty is at stake for him in Atlanta, as he is entering the final year of his rookie contract. Okudah, 24, suffered a leg injury last month and his recovery was not expected to last deep into the start of the regular season. Free agent signing Tre Flowers could step into a starting role opposite A.J. Terrell against the Panthers on Sunday.
  • Colts running back Zack Moss was downgraded to doubtful by a team announcement on Saturday. He is recovering from a broken arm, and it was always in the air whether or not he would recover in time to play Week 1. Of course, the absence of the former Bills draftee will compound the fact that Jonathan Taylor is on the PUP list to begin the season, meaning he will be sidelined for at least four weeks. Plenty of rushing responsibility will likely fall to former UDFA Deon Jackson and 2021 Rams seventh-rounder Jake Funk in quarterback Anthony Richardson‘s NFL debut.

Notable 2023 Pro Bowl Incentives

The NFL announced their 2023 Pro Bowl rosters this evening. Besides the ability to list the accolade on their career resume (plus the monetary bonus that comes from participating in and winning the game), many players had a financial incentive for wanting a Pro Bowl nod. We’ve collected some of the notable Pro Bowl contract incentives below, most via ESPN’s Field Yates on Twitter (unless noted).

Geno Smith‘s contract bonus came via a specific incentive that required not only Pro Bowl recognition but 20 touchdown passes, according to Yates (on Twitter). Smith hit that TD mark back in Week 13. The impending free agent is set to cash in following a breakout campaign during his age-32 season.

Dolphins cornerback Xavien Howard has a more complex bonus worked into his contract. According to CBS Sports’ Joel Corry (on Twitter), Howard is one step closer to earning a $1MM bonus thanks to his Pro Bowl nod, but he’ll also need Miami to improve in either wins, points allowed, TDs allowed, total defense, interceptions, average net yards allowed per rushing play, or turnover margin.

Speaking of the Dolphins, the organization saved a chunk of future money since one of their players didn’t make the Pro Bowl roster. As Daniel Oyefusi of the Miami Herald tweets, Tua Tagovailoa‘s fifth-year option would have increased from $22MM to $28MM if he earned a Pro Bowl nod.

Ravens WR DeSean Jackson Expected To Play Week 9; TE Mark Andrews Ruled Out

NOVEMBER 6: To little surprise, the Ravens announced on Sunday that Andrews will not travel with the team to New Orleans, as he is out. Fourth-round rookie Isaiah Likely will assume his starting tight end role.

NOVEMBER 5: The Ravens’ pass-catching corps is in a state of flux right now, with the team’s No.1 wideout sidelined for the remainder of the campaign. Especially significant given that development, a new face will likely join the unit on Monday night.

Veteran DeSean Jackson is expected to be elevated from the practice squad to Baltimore’s active roster, as detailed by Clifton Brown of the team’s website. That would put him in line to make his Ravens debut during their Week 9 matchup against the Saints.

“I think that’s a good possibility,” head coach John Harbuagh said when asked about the 35-year-old suiting up. “We’re going to keep seeing how he’s doing, but I personally think he’s probably ready. If he’s ready two days from now, then he’ll be out there.”

Receiver was already a position filled with question marks for the Ravens before 2021 first-rounder Rashod Bateman underwent season-ending foot surgery. That will lead to a greater workload for the likes of Devin Duvernay, James Proche and Tylan Wallace. Jackson could provide a deep threat to compliment that quartet, however, as he has throughout his career. He played one game for the Rams and Raiders each in 2021.

Jackson’s role could be even larger if tight end Mark Andrews is unable to play. The All-Pro exited Baltimore’s win over the Buccaneers last week with shoulder and ankle injuries, though Harbaugh had indicated that a long-term absence was not expected in his case. Especially with Bateman unavailable, Andrews missing Monday’s game as well would deal a major blow to a passing attack which ranks 26th in the league with an average of just 204 yards per game through the air.

Andrews has been listed as doubtful on the team’s injury report. The same is true of running back Gus Edwards, who also left last week’s game with an injury. That had been just the second contest he played in this year, after missing of all 2021 with an ACL tear. A hamstring injury appears likely to keep him out for Week 9, but the bye week immediately following that game could see him quickly resume lead back duties in the absence of J.K. Dobbins.

Looking to extend their winning streak to three games and maintain their advantage in the AFC North, the Ravens will have a shorthanded skill-position corps in New Orleans. How much Jackson contributes to the offense will be of particular note during the primetime affair.

Latest On Ravens’ Injury Situation

The Ravens have made a significant move ahead of tomorrow’s trade deadline to bolster their defense, but the AFC North leaders are facing a murky situation with respect to their offense. A number of the unit’s key contributors are facing injuries at the moment, and have a range of expected return dates.

Baltimore’s running back tandem of J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards have yet to be healthy at the same time in 2022, something which will continue for a at least a few more games. The former was placed on IR last week, after he played in four games upon return from the knee injury which cost him the entire 2021 season. That move was not actually the result of a new injury, however, as head coach John Harbaugh confirmed (video link). Rather, Dobbins underwent surgery to “accelerate” the process by which he can regain full range of motion in his knee. Harbaugh indicated Dobbins could miss four to six weeks depending on the success of his recovery.

That news leaves Edwards as the team’s lead back, a role which he took on in Week 7 against the Browns, his first action after suffering a season-ending knee injury of his own last summer. That continued through much of the Ravens’ TNF win against the Buccaneers, but the 27-year-old injured his hamstring in that game. Fortunately, that new ailment is believed to be minor, with NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport tweeting that Edwards is expected to miss no more than one game.

The Ravens also exited their Week 8 contest without their top two pass-catchers. Tight end Mark Andrews was dealing with a knee injury in advance of the contest, but had to leave due to a shoulder issue. As Harbaugh indicated today, however, the All-Pro is not expected to be dealing with anything serious (Twitter link via ESPN’s Jamison Hensley). That news is particularly encouraging given the latest update on the team’s top receiver.

Rashod Bateman is facing a foot injury which dates back to earlier in the year. The 2021 first-rounder was sidelined for Weeks 5 and 6, but returned during the following game. On Thursday, however, he re-aggravated the injury after seeing limited snaps and failing to receive a target against the Buccaneers. Harbaugh said (via The Athletic’s Jeff Zrebiec, on Twitter) that Bateman’s situation is worse than initially thought, and that he will now likely miss “multiple weeks.” That will place further emphasis on the team’s other receivers, a group which now includes DeSean Jackson.

Baltimore visits the Saints to close out Week 9, then has their bye week, which could allow the team to get healthier on the offensive side of the ball. Doing so would no doubt go a long way to improving the chances of a run to the postseason in the second half of the campaign.

Ravens Sign Mark Andrews To $56MM Extension

The Ravens have signed Pro Bowl tight end Mark Andrews to a four-year, $56MM deal (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). With a new money average of $14MM, Andrews now stands as one of the NFL’s highest-paid TEs. 

Mark Andrews, in my opinion, is one of the best TEs in the NFL. We’d be foolish to not try and keep him,” GM Eric DeCosta said back in January. “Those discussions will start up at some point.”

It took a little while, but he got his payday. Andrews, who turned 26 today, enjoyed a solid encore to his 2019 Pro Bowl season. In 2020, he reeled in 58 grabs for 701 yards and seven touchdowns. Over the course of three pro years, he’s got 156 catches, 2,105 yards, and 20 TDs to his credit.

As one of the Ravens’ 2018 third-round picks, Andrews was extension eligible for the first time this offseason. Fellow ’18 third-rounder Orlando Brown is no longer in the picture, but a new deal for quarterback Lamar Jackson could be just around the corner.

On a per year basis, 49ers star George Kittle ($15MM/year) remains the league’s highest-paid TE, followed by Travis Kelce of the Chiefs ($14.3MM). Andrews, at $14MM per annum, has leapfrogged new Patriots TEs Hunter Henry and Jonnu Smith for third.

AFC Notes: Andrews, Allen, Patriots

We’ve heard a ton in recent weeks about Lamar Jackson‘s upcoming extension with the Ravens. All the back and forth about Jackson’s mom and her role in negotiations has caused a lot of people to forget that Baltimore has other orders of business as well. One of those is Mark Andrews, the young tight end currently set to enter the final year of his rookie deal. One way or the other, Andrews is “far too important to the Ravens offense to let him walk,” Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic opines. “Either via an extension or the franchise tag, Andrews will be a Raven in 2022,” he writes.

Although he might not surpass George Kittle‘s $15MM AAV to become the league’s highest-paid tight end, Zrebiec thinks “he probably won’t be far off.” He writes that Andrews will “likely command more than the” $12.5MM that both Hunter Henry and Jonnu Smith got from the Patriots this offseason. The Ravens drafted Andrews 86th overall in 2018, and they got a steal. The Oklahoma product made the Pro Bowl in 2019, when he finished with 852 yards and 10 touchdowns. Last year he was once again Jackson’s favorite target over the middle, finishing with a solid 701 yards in 14 games. Zrebiec says the likeliest bet is Andrews gets an extension, so it sounds like Jackson won’t be the only member of Baltimore’s offense getting paid shortly.

Here’s more from around the AFC:

  • Speaking of extensions, Bills quarterback Josh Allen will need one soon too. Thanks to the fifth-year option Allen, like Jackson, is under contract through the 2022 season. But like with fellow 2018 draft class passer Baker Mayfield, extensions may come sooner rather than later. Vic Carruci of Buffalo News writes that he thinks the Bills and Allen “will work something out before the start of the season.” Carruci seems to think Allen will act “independently” of Mayfield and Jackson, and not wait around to make sure they go first and set the market. On the heels of a superb 2020 campaign, Allen will be looking for top of the quarterback market money, likely around $40MM annually on a new deal.
  • Staying in the AFC East, the Patriots have a new hire. New England is adding Richmond cornerbacks coach Ross Douglas to their staff as a quality control coach, Pete Thamel of Yahoo Sports tweets. Douglas was only hired by Richmond in February before the Patriots have now poached him away. Thamel notes that Douglas spent 2020 on Greg Schiano’s staff at Rutgers and Schiano has connections to the Pats and Bill Belichick, so maybe that played a role here. Douglas played college ball at both Michigan and Rutgers between 2013-17.

Ravens Hope To Re-Up Mark Andrews

The Ravens aren’t just focused on a new deal for Lamar Jackson. The Ravens also hope to extend Mark Andrews‘ contract this offseason, GM Eric DeCosta says (Twitter link via Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic). 

Mark Andrews, in my opinion, is one of the best TEs in the NFL. We’d be foolish to not try and keep him,” DeCosta said. “Those discussions will start up at some point.”

Andrews, 25, turned in a solid encore to his 2019 Pro Bowl season. In 2020, he reeled in 58 grabs for 701 yards and seven touchdowns. Over the course of three pro years, he’s got 156 catches, 2,105 yards, and 20 TDs to his credit. As one of the Ravens’ 2018 third-round picks, he’ll be extension eligible for the first time. The same goes for fellow ’18 third-rounder Orlando Brown, though DeCosta acknowledged that the tackle might not get a re-up due to their cap situation.

Morgan Cox, who has served as the Ravens’ long snapper for eleven years, will also be a victim of the numbers crunch. The four-time Pro Bowler tells Zrebiec that he will not be re-signed after his contract lapses in March.

Obviously, I’m certainly disappointed that I won’t be back with the Ravens next year,” Cox said. “I take a lot of pride in what we’ve accomplished there. All of that to say, rather than be frustrated or disappointed on this end, which would be easy to fall into, I’m really just thankful that it happened. I am sad that it’s over, but I’m also eternally happy that it happened.”