The Baltimore Ravens' 2024 season ended after a AFC Divisional Round loss to the Buffalo Bills. The game-deciding moment saw tight end Mark Andrews drop a game-tying two-point conversion attempt, sealing the Bills' 27-25 victory. With that, the Ravens' season ended well-short of a Super Bowl appearance once again, and Andrews caught the ire of disappointed fans everywhere.
This offseason, the Ravens brought in the likes of wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins and cornerback Chidobe Awuzie. But the NFL Draft is less than two weeks away, and the Ravens have been known to use it to the best of their ability to build a consistent contender. So, that means the draft could very well spell the end of some veteran players on the team — even if their immediate replacement is on the roster.
While speaking with reporters on Tuesday, general manager Eric DeCosta was asked if he expected Andrews to be back with the team for the 2025 season. Based on DeCosta's word salad of an answer, Andrews' status with the team is anything but lock solid.
"I never know what's going to happen," DeCosta said, h/t ESPN's Jamison Hensley. "And I would never want to say this or that. But I can tell you this: Mark Andrews is a warrior. He's played his butt off for us...
"His competitiveness, his talent, his attitude, his leadership is so valued here. He's a great player. And I think 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."
Ravens GM Eric DeCosta non-committal about Mark Andrews' status with team
That's certainly not a "yes, Andrews will be on the roster for the start of the 2025 season" from DeCosta.
While Andrews has solidified himself as one of the top pass-catchers in Ravens history since his arrival in 2018, the Ravens do have a rising star behind Andrews on the depth chart in Isaiah Likely, their fourth-round pick in 2022. This past season, Likely caught 42-of-58 passes for 477 yards and six touchdowns in 16 games played. Andrews, meanwhile, caught 55-of-69 targets for 673 yards and 11 touchdowns. So, there was an almost even split in targets, but Andrews made the most of them in terms of touchdowns.
Yet Likely is younger and showed promise. Could they pivot to Likely as the undisputed TE1 on the roster?
Andrews is entering the final year of his contract, and is set to become a free agent at the start of the 2026 league year. If the Ravens were to move on from Andrews, whether it's via release or trade, they would save $7 million in cap space, but also take on $9.9 million in dead money.
It will be interesting what the Ravens roster will look like heading into a 2025 season with lofty expectations. But will Andrews be on the team? DeCosta's comments suggest it's not a given.