Mark Andrews is not going to be testing free company. For the second time, the achieved tight finish has agreed to a Baltimore Ravens extension.
The longtime Lamar Jackson goal agreed to a three-year deal price $39.3M, NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo reports. The through-2028 deal consists of $26M assured. This deal comes months after rumors swirled about an Andrews commerce. As a substitute, the Ravens’ all-time receiving chief has secured a pleasant assure and can stick round.
Baltimore has secured Andrews at a decrease price in comparison with his 2021 extension. Contemplating the cap’s rise by practically $100M in that span, this represents good worth for the group. Andrews had entered the season on his four-year, $56M extension. This one checks in simply south of that in AAV, at $13.1M. That ranks sixth amongst tight ends.
The tight finish market has not moved an excessive amount of since Andrews’ first Ravens payday. George Kittle and Trey McBride moved the bar to $19M this offseason, one which included Ja’Marr Chase dragging the receiver benchmark previous $40M per yr. As Andrews’ place continues to make modest features, the Ravens had been capable of assemble an affordable third contract to quiet doubts about his future and supply some much-needed readability on the membership’s post-2025 tight finish state of affairs.
A March rumor suggested the Ravens could trade Andrews this year, whereas Eric DeCosta‘s initial assessment of the situation did not assure the highest go catcher in franchise historical past would play an eighth season in Maryland. That noise quieted, however the Ravens had received trade interest in Andrews this offseason. With the group additionally fascinated by extending Isaiah Doubtless, it definitely seemed cheap that Andrews might hit free company and depart come March.
What does the extension for Mark Andrews imply for the Ravens?
This extension does come at an fascinating level. Andrews turned 30 in September and has seen his yards-per-catch common drop to 9.0. The dynamic tight finish had not beforehand completed a season under 11.5, posting 12-plus-yard averages in all however one yr from 2018-24. The Ravens did play with out Lamar Jackson for a three-game stretch, and the famous person quarterback has not flashed MVP-caliber kind in latest weeks. The Ravens are clearly assured that Andrews nonetheless has prime kind remaining, although will probably be fascinating to see the total ensures on this deal.
The Ravens franchise has struggled to determine long-term receiving items. Solely three gamers in franchise historical past have compiled greater than 4,000 yards. Two of them are tight ends — Andrews and Todd Heap. Andrews eclipsed Derrick Mason‘s franchise yardage document this season; Mason was a Titans cap casualty who joined the Ravens forward of his age-31 season. Because the group has didn’t groom a long-term receiving piece out of the draft — although Zay Flowers might have one thing to say about that — it additionally missed on first-round tight finish Hayden Hurst in 2018. Luckily, Baltimore doubled up at TE in that draft by circling again by way of Andrews at No. 86.
Andrews has three Professional Bowls on his resume, together with a 2021 season that produced 1,361 yards and a first-team All-Professional nod. Contemplating Travis Kelce and George Kittle‘s primes coming throughout this era, first-team All-Professional accolades had been arduous to come back by. Andrews added 847 receiving yards in 2022, a second straight yr bringing a late-season Jackson harm.
After struggling a significant ankle harm in 2023, Andrews returned to play 17 video games final season. Though Doubtless ate into a few of Andrews’ receiving alternatives, the enduring presence totaled 673 receiving yards and a career-high 11 touchdowns to assist Jackson to a second straight first-team All-Professional nod.
This season, Andrews has simply 332 receiving yards. Although he has scored 5 TDs. Professional Soccer Focus additionally ranks Andrews as a top-20 run blocker on the place. Doubtless missed the group’s first three video games as a consequence of harm, however has been lively since. The fourth-year TE has 18 receptions for 223 yards and no scores. This extension might level the youthful choice to the market, however Doubtless re-up talks were believed to be on Baltimore’s docket. A franchise tag was even floated as a possibility.
With Andrews locked down, Doubtless might properly have an opportunity to check the market. Whereas the Ravens have till early March to barter solely with Doubtless, his FA price ticket might make a return unreasonable.
