It always comes back to that drop, doesn’t it? AFC Divisional game against the Bills. Lamar Jackson fired a strike, high heat, right into the hands. But Mark Andrews can’t haul it in. It hits the turf. And the trolls? They didn’t even wait for the final whistle. People hurled accusations like— washed, never healthy, and ghost in the playoffs. Same old naysayers. Just louder now.

But here’s what the drive-by critics won’t mention: Mark Andrews has been that guy for Baltimore more times than he’s let them down. Think back to Week 16, 2024, against the Steelers. Game on the line, playoff seeding in the balance. Lamar leans on his old security blanket, and Andrews delivers a dagger, a 7-yard go-ahead touchdown in the third quarter, flipping momentum, sealing a 34–17 statement win, and sending Baltimore surging into the playoffs.

Or rewind to January 5, 2025, the regular season finale against the Browns. Ravens needed a win to lock up the AFC North. Who did Lamar turn to in the red zone? Same answer. Mark Andrews snagged a 12-yard touchdown, giving him TD No. 11 on the year and cementing a 35–10 rout.

So when people online started hurling blame after the AFC loss, Andrews kept quiet. But not anymore. At the Dexcom camp for young athletes, he replied to everyone, “I’ve had to eat a lot of (crap), but I’m not done yet. I’ve got a lot left to do for the Baltimore Ravens.” It wasn’t a rant. It wasn’t even a clapback. Just calm defiance.

And let’s talk numbers. Over the 2024 season? 55 receptions, 673 yards, and a career-high 11 touchdowns, despite splitting targets with Isaiah Likely and Zay Flowers in a more balanced offense. Moreover, Andrews has 436 receptions, 5,530 yards, and 51 touchdowns across 104 games.

The Ravens’ tight end dropped one in a big moment. It stings. He knows it. But that one play doesn’t erase the seasons where he carried this offense, and the locker room respect he’s earned. Mark Andrews isn’t done. But there’s a bigger play going on.

Mark Andrews is ready to perform while trade rumors intensify

The trade buzz is building, but Mark Andrews is still right where he’s always been, in the heart of the Ravens’ flock. “I’ll remain in Baltimore to prepare for the season,” he told reporters at the Descom Camp. “I’m in an extremely good place mentally and physically as camp nears.” It was a calm, simple message from a player who hears the noise but refuses to be rattled by it. And make no mistake, the noise is getting louder.

Mark Andrews is entering the final year of his contract. So is Isaiah Likely. The difference? Age, cost, and upside. Andrews is 29 and one of the best tight ends of the last six seasons. But Likely is just 25, trending upward, and reportedly in line for a multi-year extension worth $14.5 million per year, according to The Draft Network’s Justin Melo.

Add to that the growing chorus of national voices suggesting Andrews is the one who could be moved. “(Andrews) has been one of the best tight ends in the NFL the last five or six years,” said Nic Rohloff of Dolphins Today by Chat Sports. “But he’s getting older, his contract’s expiring, and with Likely continuing to rise, Mark Andrews could be on the move.” It’s not just speculation, it’s basic roster economics.

Andrews, to his credit, isn’t playing defense. He’s playing offense. Despite a rocky start to 2024, he ended with a career-high 11 touchdowns, often bailing Lamar Jackson out in high-leverage spots. He racked up 673 yards on 55 catches, proving that even in a crowded offense, he’s still a red-zone monster. Likely impressed too, 42 catches, 477 yards, 6 TDs. But he’s still learning to create the gravity Andrews demands from a defense every Sunday.

Which brings us to the hard part. If Baltimore does move on from Andrews, they’re not just parting with a tight end; they’re giving up a culture guy, a locker room tone-setter, and Lamar Jackson’s most reliable safety valve since the MVP campaign. That kind of chemistry doesn’t grow on trees.