For the most part, the Baltimore Ravens have had a typical, quiet start to their offseason. Their limited salary cap space was always going to get in the way of signing a blockbuster free agent, but that hasn't stopped them from addressing key needs and putting the roster in a better position than it was last season.
The big hitters are out of the way. Ronnie Stanley is back on a three-year, $60 million deal. Lamar Jackson has a new, chain-moving receiver in DeAndre Hopkins. And aside from the usual wear and tear of an offseason, Baltimore looks pretty unscathed and ready for another Super Bowl run. However, as we approach draft night, one big question remains: What is going on with Mark Andrews?
The last time we saw the Ravens' all-time leader in touchdowns, he dropped a game-tying two-point conversion against the Buffalo Bills in the playoffs. That drop was then scrutinized and became the catalyst for fans, media members, and front offices to question if Andrews was in it for the long haul.
So far, it's been relatively crickets from that standpoint. General manager Eric DeCosta seemingly tipped his hat earlier in the offseason, giving what many felt like a sendoff speech. Fast-forward to the league meetings, and it seems like that tune has changed quite a bit.
John Harbaugh all but guarantees Mark Andrews is back next season
At the league meetings this week, Harbaugh spoke to the media and made it abundantly clear where things stand with the veteran tight end:
"Mark's in a good place. He's working really hard," Harbaugh said. "I do fully expect him to be playing for us next year. He's just too good a player."
The Ravens find themselves in an interesting and rather envious, yet also unenvious position. In theory, they have three starting-worthy tight ends on their roster—Andrews, Isaiah Likely, and Charlie Kolar. But all three will be free agents at the end of this season, meaning something's gotta give. They won't be able to pay all three.
But that looks like a different story for a different day. They're keeping all three on for 2025.
Baltimore paid Andrews a reported $4 million for his roster bonus on March 17—by all accounts, sealing their desire to keep him. And why wouldn't they want him back?
Yes, the drop was brutal, but it happens, and he's still an elite tight end. Some will say he's overpaid for where he's at in his career, but Pro Football Focus had him graded as a top-five tight end last season. It's easy to get caught up in the recent hysteria of it all, but the fact remains he's still Lamar Jackson's favorite target, and discarding him for a bad play is organizational malpractice.
So, despite the speculation, the Ravens are making it clear: they’re running it back with Andrews.
With the 2025 NFL Draft just around the corner, the timing of all this feels more important than ever. If the Ravens were going to make a move, now would seemingly be the time.
Could things change a day, week, month, year from now? Absolutely. The tight end room is crowded, the cap always looms, and decisions will need to be made. But for now, Baltimore is pushing its chips in for another Super Bowl run, and Andrews is still one of the centerpieces.