Let’s get one thing out of the way—nobody with a functioning brain is saying the Baltimore Ravens should cut Mark Andrews because of his playoff performance against the Buffalo Bills.
Yeah, the fumble stunk. Yeah, the two-point conversion drop was brutal. And yeah, his track record in the playoffs isn’t Travis Kelce-level. But making a franchise-altering decision based on one game would be organizational malpractice... and downright irrational.
This isn’t about Buffalo. This is about the numbers game. Andrews is set to make $17 million next year, and cutting him would free up $11 million. That’s no small number, especially when you’ve got to figure out how to pay Ronnie Stanley while figuring out who else to bring in via free agency and the future contracts of Tyler Linderbaum and Kyle Hamilton— players more vital to the Ravens’ long-term success. And let’s not forget Isaiah Likely and Charlie Kolar who are already waiting in the wings. Both are younger, will need new deals after 2025, and have flashed enough potential to at least make this a conversation.
So, is it insane to think the Ravens could move on from Andrews? Not really. Cutting him because of a single game would be profoundly irrational and dumb. But cutting him as a business decision to better fill out the roster, and keep Lamar Jackson's Super Bowl window open? That’s a conversation worth having.
The Ravens have a Mark Andrews problem
If we’re talking priorities, let’s be real—Stanley is a bit more important than Andrews to the team's immediate success. Stanley might not have the clean bill of health franchises typically look for, but there's no denying when he's healthy, he's a top-10 tackle. Keeping Jackson upright is a no-brainer and Baltimore's top priority.
The problem is, the money has to come from somewhere—it doesn't grow on trees. Per Over the Cap, Baltimore has just under $6 million in cap space. Cutting Andrews would almost double the Ravens’ available cap space. Could they find another way to free up cash? Maybe. But at some point, they have to decide if keeping a 30-year-old tight end on a massive contract is worth it when there are already younger, cheaper options behind him.
Likely has already shown flashes of brilliance in the passing and blocking games. The kid has serious potential. When Andrews was going through an early-season funk, Likely was right there to pick up the slack.
He’s not the same player, but he’s good enough that the Ravens don’t need to be paying top dollar for another tight end. If keeping Stanley, locking down key free agents, or filling bigger roster needs means rolling with Likely and Kolar, then it’s a move that makes a whole lot of sense—about $11 million worth of sense.
The Ravens are pretty smart. They know Andrews is still a great player. That should be obvious to just about everyone. The most likely outcome is a contract restructure or an extension to lower his cap hit. But if he’s not open to that? Then, it gets tricky. Baltimore could explore a trade, or they could make the tough call and cut him outright.
Nobody wants to see Mark Andrews leave. But this isn’t about what’s easy—it’s about what’s necessary. The Ravens have to build a team that can win a Super Bowl, not just make the playoffs. And if that means making an uncomfortable decision, then so be it.