Ravens tight end Mark Andrews recently became the franchise’s all-time leader in receiving yards by passing former Ravens wide receiver Derrick Mason, who previously held the record with 5,777 yards.
Andrews caught three passes for 32 yards against the Browns, bringing his career totals to 468 catches for 5,806 yards. The 6-foot-5, 250-pound tight end is four catches away from breaking Mason’s franchise record for catches.
Prior to Andrews’ record-breaking day against the Browns, Mason was asked about what it meant to him that Andrews would break his record.
“Records are meant to be broken. Records are a visual sort of gauge of what you meant to the league, what you meant to the organization,” Mason said on Glenn Clark Radio Nov. 13. “I think that’s what those are when you go back and you look and you see certain guys are at the top or right near the top in certain statistical categories. That just shows how much work they put in for the organization and how dedicated they were to their craft. My receiving record, I knew ultimately it was going to be broken.”
Mason praised Andrews’ durability, with the tight end missing significant time just once in his career. His availability allowed him to develop a connection with quarterback Lamar Jackson, who also came to Baltimore out of the 2018 draft.
“The young man was out there, he was available, he was reliable. And he became the quarterback Jackson’s best friend, in a sense, on the field,” Mason said. “I don’t know what their relationship is like off the field, but I’m sure it’s great. On the field, he became that reliable guy that no matter what, especially in key times, it’s not about plays, it’s about players. He went to Mark Andrews a lot in those critical times.”
Andrews faced adversity after a poor performance in the divisional-round loss to Buffalo last January, when he had a key drop and fumble. Trade rumors circulated, and some fans were vocal about wanting Isaiah Likely to take over as the Ravens’ primary tight end. Mason praised Andrews’ resilience through that.
“As a player, you’re going to face adversity, whether it be dropping a pass in a game, injury, whatever the case may be, you’re going you’re going to face adversity,” Mason said. “What happens when that comes? Are you going to succumb to it and allow it to bury you? Or are you going to fight through it and come out on top? Mark Andrews seems to fight through all that stuff and continue to come out on top.”
Mason was asked how many yards he would have finished with as a Raven had he played 10 years with Jackson. Mason played in Baltimore from 2005-2010, working with quarterbacks Kyle Boller, Joe Flacco, Steve McNair, Troy Smith and Anthony Wright.
“If I played 10 years with Lamar, I’m sure that my numbers would have been much larger. If I had played for 10 years with Joe there, I’m sure my numbers would have been much larger. It’s just a different game,” Mason said. “But I stand on what I did. I left my mark there with that organization. I worked hard. I performed hard. I played through injury. I did everything the organization asked me to do, and I gave all that I could to that organization.”
For more from Mason, listen to the full interview here:
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