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The Rumors of Andrews' Demise are Greatly Exaggerated
If you are ready to give up on Mark Andrews, it’s hard to blame you. The Ravens’ all-time leader in receptions, receiving yards, and touchdown catches has been on a downward trajectory for a few years, culminating in a brutal 2025 season where he ended up on waiver wires in most fantasy leagues.
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- Games: 17
- Targets: 70
- Receptions: 40
- Receiving Yards: 422
- Yards per Reception: 8.8
- Touchdowns: 5
- Fantasy Rank (Per Game): 29th
But I’m here to tell you why you not only shouldn’t give up on Andrews, but why you should consider making him a cornerstone of your redraft plans. While his falloff last season was undeniable, the Baltimore Ravens couldn’t have done more over the last six months to signal their absolute belief in a bounce-back. In fact, they’ve done absolutely nothing to insulate themselves offensively if they’re wrong.
Bad Season or Not, the Ravens are Fully Committed
There were plenty of ways this offseason could have unfolded, many of which would have cemented the pessimistic take on Andrews. Instead, as the dust settles, things couldn’t have gone better for the veteran tight end. Look at how the depth chart cleared out around him:
- Lamar Jackson remains under center. The baseline chemistry isn't going anywhere.
- Isaiah Likely signed with the Giants. Long seen as the heir apparent, Likely followed John Harbaugh to New York instead.
- Charlie Kolar signed with the Chargers. While Kolar wasn’t a major receiving threat, he vacated a 40% snap share primarily used for blocking.
- Durham Smythe is the only reinforcement. Signed to a one-year, $3 million deal, Smythe has just 13 receptions over the last two seasons. He’s a pure blocker and nothing else.
- The wideout room remains unchanged. The top three options are still Zay Flowers, Rashod Bateman, and Devontez Walker.
- A tight-end-friendly scheme arrives. New offensive coordinator Declan Doyle comes directly from a coaching tree that has historically featured and elevated the tight end position.
Don’t Forget About the Extension
Even before the offseason market cleared the runway for him, the organization signaled that Andrews was far from done as the centerpiece of Baltimore’s passing game.
On December 4, 2025, Andrews signed a three-year, $39.3 million contract extension featuring $24 million in new guarantees. His $13.1 million AAV places him fifth among active tight ends, anchoring him firmly in the elite tier of modern positional paydays:
Top Ten Tight End Contracts, by AAV
| Player | Team | Age | Total Value | Avg./Year | Total Guaranteed | Fully Guaranteed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| George Kittle | SF | 33 | $76,400,000 | $19,100,000 | $35,000,000 | $35,000,000 |
| Trey McBride | ARI | 27 | $76,000,000 | $19,000,000 | $43,000,000 | $32,500,000 |
| Kyle Pitts Sr. | ATL | 26 | $15,045,000 | $15,045,000 | $15,045,000 | $15,045,000 |
| Isaiah Likely | NYG | 26 | $40,000,000 | $13,333,333 | $26,000,000 | $20,500,000 |
| Mark Andrews | BAL | 31 | $39,267,000 | $13,089,000 | $25,944,444 | $20,944,444 |
| Dalton Schultz | HOU | 30 | $12,600,000 | $12,600,000 | $17,600,000 | $17,600,000 |
| Jake Ferguson | DAL | 27 | $50,000,000 | $12,500,000 | $30,000,000 | $20,656,000 |
| Cole Kmet | CHI | 27 | $50,000,000 | $12,500,000 | $32,793,000 | $22,893,000 |
| Pat Freiermuth | PIT | 28 | $48,400,000 | $12,100,000 | $22,385,000 | $11,600,000 |
| Travis Kelce | KC | 37 | $12,000,000 | $12,000,000 | $12,000,000 | $12,000,000 |