Injured TE Mark Andrews misses third practice: Harbaugh's "panic" injury update

The Baltimore Ravens returned to practice on Monday, Aug. 28, one day before the official regular-season 53-man roster is submitted to the NFL. The franchise has transitioned to "regular-season practices," which means only the first 15 minutes of the session were open to attend by media members.

One thing caught everybody's attention on Monday, and that was tight end Mark Andrews' absence from Flock taking on the training ground.

Monday marked the third consecutive practice missed by the favorite target of Lamar Jackson, and most probably the most important skill-position players in the Ravens roster.

Head Coach John Harbaugh was asked about this following the end of Monday's practice, and he provided an update on Andrews' injury and outlook for the Week 1 matchup against the Houston Texans scheduled for Sept. 10.

"Mark should be out there practicing next week," Harbaugh started, "I expect him to play in the game."

Considering the importance of Andrews in the Ravens' offense, it's absolutely crucial for the team to have him ready to go come Week 1. Missing practices a little under two weeks from kick-off is a bit concerning, but it's something the franchise might be doing to keep the tight end under wraps and ready to go when real football comes.

"You don't need to panic about that. Tell the fans it's going to be OK," Harbaugh said, pretty much confirming that feeling of taking a cautious approach to Andrews' return to practices. "He should be out there practicing next week. I expect him to play in the game, and he should be fine. That's where we're at with that."

With Andrews ready to go and no more injured players in the receiving corps, the Ravens are about to field the strongest pass-catching unit they have ever had in tow since the arrival of Lamar Jackson, including Odell Beckham Jr., Rashod Bateman, Nelson Agholor, and rookie phenom Zay Flowers.

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