The Baltimore Ravens made a very polarizing decision regarding the future of their tight end room last year. In fact, polarizing might be an understatement.
Back in December, Baltimore inked Mark Andrews to a three-year, $39.3 million extension. That’d result in both Isaiah Likely and Charlie Kolar departing in free agency. At the time, re-upping a regressing veteran’s contract seemed questionable, and in the midst of training camp, it’s looking even more suspect.
Ahead of preseason action, the Ravens hadn’t seen much production from the tight end room. It was up to rookies Matthew Hibner and Josh Cuevas to prove worthy of reps in the preseason opener against the Philadelphia Eagles.
Hibner answered the call in a big way.
Matthew Hibner could give the Baltimore Ravens the production they need at tight end
Matthew Hibner doesn’t enter 2026 with the weight of the world on his shoulders—he’s just a fourth-round rookie after all. He might, however, be needed as a reliable piece in the early going.
The Ravens traded up to get Hibner in the 2026 NFL Draft and are known for being a tight end-heavy team. The arrival of offensive coordinator Declan Doyle, who relies on tight ends, will continue to make that a staple of the passing game in Charm City.
Between Hibner and Josh Cuevas, Hibner probably needs to be the go-to guy on passing downs. He brings the athletic profile to be the Isaiah Likely replacement, Â and he showcased that exact element against Philadelphia.
Hibner starred on Saturday night with five receptions on five targets for 61 yards. His biggest gain of the game came on his first target, beating the Eagles' defense vertically for a 29-yard gain. He demonstrated a little bit of juice in his legs, as well, posting 36 yards after the catch.
For that performance, Hibner graded out as the best rookie tight end in preseason Week 1, per Pro Football Focus, earning a 92.6.
If any of the tight ends were due to break out, it was going to be Hibner. He has been the most productive of the tight end group throughout training camp. The SMU product got the opportunity to display his skill set under the lights, and he made the most of it.
With games like that, Hibner has the potential to be a strong rotational weapon, but one who may be the future of the position behind Mark Andrews. Admittedly, that may be a preseason overreaction; however, it’s hard to see that debut and not be excited about what the future could hold for the 24-year-old. In a Declan Doyle-coached offense, his ceiling is extremely high.
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