OWINGS MILLS, Md. — Mark Andrews is motivated by the heartbreak of last season, he is focused on this season, and he won’t look ahead to next season, when he is set to become a free agent. That all became evident as the All-Pro tight end met with the media on July 22, the day before the Ravens officially open their 2025 training camp.
It has been a tumultuous seven months for Andrews, beginning with a disastrous performance in a playoff game at Buffalo in which he lost a fumble in the fourth quarter and then dropped a potential game-tying two-point conversion with 1:33 left in a 27-25 loss that ended the Ravens’ 2024 season.
In addition, Andrews, one of the most accomplished tight ends in Ravens history, has been the subject of frequent trade rumors as he enters the final year of his four-year, $56 million deal. Tight end Isaiah Likely is also entering the final year of his contract, and the belief is the Ravens will not be able to afford to keep both.
Andrews, who turns 30 in September, has been quarterback Lamar Jackson’s favorite target since the duo arrived together as rookies in 2018. After a slow start last season, Andrews finished with 55 catches for 673 yards and 11 touchdowns. He set the franchise record last season with 51 career touchdown catches and also set a record with a touchdown catch in six straight games to end the regular season.
But his miscues in the playoff loss to Buffalo extended a narrative in which Ravens teams in recent years have self-destructed in big spots, and Andrews appears highly motivated to move past that game.
Andrews, as he often has done throughout his eight-year career, took part in the team’s voluntary OTA sessions, running reps as hard as any rookie trying to make the team.
Asked during OTA workouts about that loss at Buffalo, for which he drew the ire of many Ravens fans, Andrews had said, “It’s tough. This is my life. I put a lot of work into this and everything I do is kind of focused on that. … It wasn’t the way that I had planned it, but that’s all part of the story. I’ve been using it [as motivation].”
“That’s the thing about sports is that it doesn’t always fall your way,” he added. “It doesn’t always go your way, but it’s how you bounce back.”
The Ravens return to Buffalo to open the 2025 season in a highly anticipated “Sunday Night Football” matchup on Sept. 7, and Andrews said that will be “a great story. I’m excited about that game.”
Andrews’ future in Baltimore is far less certain.
He’s never played for any other NFL team, but the Ravens will be hard-pressed to retain both Andrews and Likely, who is four years younger and appears to fit the “ascending player” profile that owner Steve Bisciotti likes to reward.
Andrews said he isn’t looking any further than this season.
“You have to trust God,” he said. “And for me, it’s not looking too far ahead. It’s living in the moment, being present. I’m thankful to be here this year, to be able to compete for this organization, compete for this city. It means so much to me. I just want people to know that. It really means everything to me, so I’m excited about it.”
Photo Credit: Kenya Allen/PressBox