Ravens John Harbaugh Offers Update On Mark Andrews' Impending Return: 'Everybody's Excited!
When Baltimore Ravens' tight end Mark Andrews went down with an ankle injury in Week 11 against the Cincinnati Bengals, the thought was that he wouldn't be seen again this season.
That ruled him out for the regular season, but there was a glimmer of hope that if Baltimore could make a deep playoff run, that we might see #89 on the field again.
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Well, it is now more than a glimmer of hope as Andrews was seen on the practice field this week. But despite that, Ravens head coach John Harbaugh isn't rushing to put his star tight end on the field.
"I think we're on the same timetable that we were on,” Harbaugh said on Andrews' return. “We’re in that range, you know but today was the first day, did individual [drills] that was it, so it kind of ramp from there, and just we get into next week and we'll have a better idea.”
So that is a big piece of positive news for the Ravens to even have Andrews on the practice field.
But going through individual reps is one thing, and playing in a Divisional Playoff game is another thing entirely. Baltimore has done just fine without Andrews, thanks to the play of second-year tight end Isaiah Likely who finished with 411 receiving yards and five touchdowns stepping in for Andrews.
But despite the Ravens being cautious with their All-Pro tight end, Harbaugh stated that when the news came through that he would be practicing, the locker room got a jolt of excitement.
“Everybody's excited for Mark," Harbaugh said. "You see him in the training room every day, he's in the weight room, he's in the meetings, everybody knows and everybody kind of knew he's coming out and practicing so they're happy for Mark. "It's you always want to see one of the brothers back out there doing their thing.”
With the Ravens holding the No. 1 seed in the AFC, they have the bye during the Wild Card Round, which gives Andrews another week of practice under his belt as he gears up for a return.
Baltimore went 6-0 without Andrews (not counting the Week 18 loss to Pittsburgh as a host of starters were out), and the potential of having him back in the lineup for the beginning of the playoffs is a huge boost.
The Ravens were already in good shape heading into the postseason and if we add having an All-Pro tight end coming back, everything is coming up Baltimore.
