Baltimore Ravens Don't Squash Speculation They Could Trade Star Tight End Mark Andrews

The last time we saw Mark Andrews, he was sitting alone on the Baltimore Ravens bench when quarterback Lamar Jackson came to console him for dropping a wide-open two-point conversion that would have kept their team alive in the division round playoff game against the Buffalo Bills last January.

Andrews' Terrible Day Memory Remains

Andrews, one of the best tight ends in the NFL the past half decade, had perhaps the worst day of his career on the biggest stage of the season.

He had a key second quarter drop.

He had a stunning fourth-quarter fumble.

And he dropped the potential game-tying two-point conversion despite being wide open at the goal line.

All on a national CBS broadcast that stole attention from a game that was supposed to be about Josh Allen versus Lamar Jackson.

So, yes, devastating.

Was Playoff Disaster The End? 

And here we are, three months later, and everyone is facing the real possibility that might have been the last game in a Ravens uniform for Andrews.

No, not because of that forgettable performance, although it doesn't help. 

It's that game plus the fact Andrews is closing in on his 30th birthday and about to begin the final season on his contract. 

And if the Ravens can trade Andrews, they would obviously get compensation in return, and save $11 million in salary cap charges in the exchange.

So the Ravens must weigh possibly moving on from the player – granted, a very good one – and getting multiple benefits from the move versus having no guarantee they can negotiate an extension now or keep Andrews from leaving in free agency after the season.

Feb 25, 2025; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Baltimore Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta speaks during the NFL Scouting Combine at the Indiana Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Not Conjecture That Ravens Don't Commit

But this is all conjecture, right?

Well, yes, except the Ravens this week had a chance to squash that conjecture and speculation. And faced with the opportunity, general manager Eric DeCosta declined to commit to keeping Andrews for 2025.

"I never know what's going to happen, and I would never want to say this or that, but I can tell you this," DeCosta said at the Ravens' pre-draft press conference. "Mark Andrews is a warrior, and he's played his butt off for us, and his competitiveness, his talent, his attitude [and] his leadership is so valued here. 

"He's a great player, and we're in the business of keeping as many great players as we can, so there's always a lot of unpredictability with the draft. You just never know. I don't think we've traded many of our own players. Have we ever made a trade during the draft where we traded one of our players?"

Years ago, DeCosta traded wide receiver Marquise "Hollywood" Brown three days prior to the draft, but it was not announced until draft day. The timing is not the point. 

The trade is the point and the Ravens have definitely moved on from a good player around draft time in the past.

Dec 1, 2024; Baltimore, Maryland, USA;  Baltimore Ravens tight end Mark Andrews (89) reacts after catching a first half touchdown  against the Philadelphia Eagles at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

DeCosta Didn't Say He's Keeping Andrews

And now let's backtrack a moment: I am searching DeCosta's comment for the part where he says Andrews will definitely be on the team in 2025.

Looking.

Still looking.

Give me another second.

Nope. Not in there. He didn't say it.

He had every opportunity. But he didn't do it. And it's not that hard. Ask DeCosta if Jackson is going to be on the team and the answer is an unambiguous "Yes."

That wasn't anywhere close to DeCosta's answer about Andrews. The answer this week from the general manager was actually a major contrast to the one head coach John Harbaugh gave two weeks ago at the NFL annual meeting.

"I do fully expect him to be playing for us next [season]," Harbaugh said. "He's just too good a player."

Harbaugh added the understandable caveat about situations possibly changing, but his response was a mountain of certainty compared to DeCosta not wanting to "say this or that."

Jan 9, 2025; Miami, FL, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions tight end Tyler Warren (44) runs passed Notre Dame Fighting Irish defensive lineman Donovan Hinish (41) in the first half in the Orange Bowl at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Warren Leads Strong Tight End Class

And then we have the other variable in play, which is that the looming NFL draft is considered strong at the tight end position.

Should the Ravens choose to move on from Andrews, they might find themselves in a position to draft Penn State's Tyler Warren with their No. 27 overall selection. Too low to get the draft's best tight end?

Michigan's Colston Loveland, Miami's Elijah Arroyo, and LSU's Mason Taylor are all considered top 64 selections. So the Ravens would have options.

"If there's a tight end that we think is a blue-chip tight end or a running back that we think is a blue-chip running back, we're going to take them, just because they're important, and if the talent is such that we think this guy can impact our team at some point," DeCosta said.

That's a lot more definitive than anything DeCosta said about Mark Andrews.