Insider Shuts Down Ravens Blockbuster Trade Rumors
![Jan 11, 2025; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Ravens tight end Mark Andrews (89) against Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Patrick Queen (6) in the second quarter in an AFC wild card game at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images Jan 11, 2025; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Ravens tight end Mark Andrews (89) against Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Patrick Queen (6) in the second quarter in an AFC wild card game at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_3714,h_2089,x_0,y_0/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/raven_country/01jjqpmty4dzk5r5dsdh.jpg)
Mark Andrews has been one of the Baltimore Ravens' best and most consistent players throughout his entire career, but one wouldn't know it just from looking at the past week and a half.
Andrews, who led all tight ends with 11 touchdowns in the regular season, became a lighting rod for criticism following some unfortunate mistakes in the Ravens' 27-25 Divisional Round loss to the Buffalo Bills in the Divisional Round. The three-time Pro Bowler fumbled with less than nine minutes to go, and most infamously, dropped what would've been the game-tying two-point conversion in the final minutes.
There were already some questions surrounding Andrews' future as he enters the final year of his contract, and after a brutal end to the season, those questions are more prevalent than ever.
Some even proposed the idea of cutting Andrews outright, as doing so would create $11 million in valuable cap space. According to Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic, though, that's not in the cards.
"It seems highly unlikely that the Ravens would release one of the league’s best tight ends who is coming off an 11-touchdown regular season and who happens to be quarterback Lamar Jackson’s favorite target and one of his closest friends on the team," Zrebiec wrote. "The Ravens also aren’t in the business of scapegoating a guy who has been one of the team’s model players on and off the field."
Now there are other options to consider as well, including a potential trade to get some younger and/or cheaper assets back. Alternatively, the Ravens could opt to extend him and bring his cap number down for next season, or just simply have him play out the final year of his deal.
However, there is the fact that Baltimore's other two tight ends, Isaiah Likely and Charlie Kolar, are also entering the final year of their contracts as well, which could complicate matters. Likely in particular could see a huge raise on his next contract, and paying two tight ends big money doesn't seem very practical.
That said, Zrebiec put it best when describing Andrews' predicament.
"Despite Andrews’ role in the loss to the Bills, it would be nearly impossible to say the Ravens would be better as a team by subtracting Andrews from the mix," Zrebiec wrote.