Ravens TE Mark Andrews' return timeline still unclear
Baltimore Ravens tight end Mark Andrews underwent ankle surgery on Tuesday, Nov. 21 following the significant injury he suffered during the Ravens' Week 11 Thursday Night Football game against the Cincinnati Bengals because of a semi-illegal hip-drop tackle.
As of now, there has been no official update on Andrews' recovery timeline released by the franchise, with spare comments made by head coach John Harbaugh teasing his eventual return for the final games of the season (playoffs included).
In early December, Ravens head coach John Harbaugh addressed inquiries about the team's plans in the tight end position during a Monday press conference, mainly touching on the rumors about the signing of free agent TE Zach Ertz.
Harbaugh commented on Ertz's release and the speculation connecting him to the Ravens., although the coach seemingly ruled out such a move while sounding pleased with the current tight end room and teasing the return of Andrews down the road.
"Andrews is doing everything he can to get back on the field. Harbaugh and the Ravens did not provide any kind of timetable for his return, so we can only go off the various reports for NFL Insiders. NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reported that Andrews could return if the Ravens go on a deep playoff run. Would it have to be the Super Bowl? Could it be the AFC championship? Sooner? All of that is unknown at this point."
- Garrett Downing, BaltimoreRavens.com
Ravens beat reporter Garrett Downing of BaltimoreRavens.com further discussed Andrews' situation in a recent mailbag he published earlier this week. The pundit confirmed that while Andrews is "doing everything he can to get back on the field," neither Harbaugh nor the Ravens have provided a specific timeline for his comeback yet.
According to NFL insider Mike Garafolo, Andrews' potential return hinges on the Ravens' playoff performance and how deep they get into the postseason.
It's fair to assume that with no news released at this point through the regular season, Andrews won't make a comeback for any of the next four games into January. That said, the Ravens are a lock to make the playoffs, which means they will play from mid-January on.
Therefore, the franchise is giving Andrews one more month of recovery time to make his comeback, or even more the longer they stay alive in the postseason with an eventual 2023 season finale in the Super Bowl scheduled for Feb. 11.
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The door is definitely open for Andrews to make a return, but it's still unknown and hard to predict how and when Andrews will make his comeback. It could happen as soon as New Year, later in January, or just in time for the Super Bowl if the Ravens make it all the way there.
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