Mark Andrews has been one of the cornerstones of the Baltimore Ravens’ offense since the day he was drafted. He’s Lamar Jackson’s most trusted target—duh, they came into the league together. He holds the franchise record for touchdowns. And in 2024, he added another strong year to his resume with 11 touchdown catches, the most by any tight end in the league.
Andrews was one of the biggest Pro Bowl snubs of awards season. He didn't have the most receiving yards (673), but he still placed ninth in the league. Almost all of that production came after he bounced back from a car accident in the offseason that might have been more serious than fans were led to believe.
But when people talk about Andrews right now, they’re not bringing up any of that. They’re pointing to a couple of mishaps. Most likely two in particular. One brutal drop and a fumble—the two plays that ultimately sealed the Ravens' fate against the Buffalo Bills in the Divisional Round. It was a nightmare turn of events in an otherwise strong season, and apparently, that’s all it took for some to turn on him.
Mark Andrews labeled as most overpaid player on the Ravens
In a recent article from Bleacher Report, Brad Gagnon named one overpaid player for every team. For the Ravens, he singled out Andrews and wrote:
“The veteran managed 11 touchdown catches in 2024, but he isn’t the player he used to be and his mistakes have cost the Ravens dearly. That combined with the emergence of Isaiah Likely makes it hard to justify Andrews’ $14 million AAV as the fifth-highest-paid tight end in the game.”
It's understandable. The performance against the Bills stung. Andrews would be the first one to say that. He literally went silent after the game and then broke his silence days later with a heartfelt message that showed how much it ate at him.
But reducing his entire value to that one game? That has to be a bit of a reach, no matter how you slice it.
He had 11 touchdown catches. He posted an 83.8 Pro Football Focus grade, which ranked fourth among all tight ends. He’s still producing at a top-tier level and still makes the offense go when he’s on the field. Yes, Isaiah Likely is an awesome, promising piece, but there’s a reason he’s still behind Andrews on the depth chart.
Andrews makes a lot of money. He’s also earned it. If we’re talking about value relative to impact, Broderick Washington’s $5.25 million annual average feels a little more off the mark than Andrews being paid like a top-five tight end. Because that’s what he is.
Listen, teams either pay for past production or potential. It's one or the other. In Andrews' case, it's for past production... so what? He's earned it and is still producing.
The fumble was bad. The drop was worse. The recency bias is infuriating. Andrews has been one of the most consistent players in the league at his position for years, and he’s not overpaid.