Ravens' Mark Andrews is moving on from tumultuous offseason: ‘I'm very thankful to be here'

New York Times

4 days ago

OWINGS MILLS, Md. — After staying away from the team facility for much of the offseason, quarterback Lamar Jackson returned to the Under Armour Performance Center Wednesday for Baltimore's second organized team activity, and suddenly everything felt right in the Ravens' world again. To accentuate his return, Jackson did what he's done so often in practices and games over the past seven years.
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Dropping back on the first play of the full-team segment of OTAs, Jackson spotted Mark Andrews with a step on cornerback Marlon Humphrey as he cut across the middle. Jackson delivered the ball to the tight end in stride, and Andrews cut upfield.
Andrews doesn't reveal himself as the sentimental type, at least not in his comments to reporters over the years. Whether the completion — and he had several more in Wednesday's OTA — carried any extra significance to him, Andrews didn't say. However, it certainly felt notable after he spent the offseason ignoring the criticism of his play in the Ravens' season-ending playoff loss to the Buffalo Bills and the questions about his future in Baltimore.
'It feels great,' Andrews said after Wednesday's practice. Jackson 'was throwing the ball extremely well today, and there were a bunch of guys flying around. Our guys are working and putting in that work, and I'm excited for it.'
8 brings the joy!! pic.twitter.com/chSb4X1vRm
— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) May 28, 2025
Wednesday marked Andrews' first comments to a group of Baltimore-area reporters in more than four months. He did not speak to the media following the Ravens' divisional round, 27-25 loss to the Bills, a game in which he dropped the potential game-tying two-point conversion in the final 93 seconds and also lost a fumble in Buffalo territory earlier in the fourth quarter.
He carried that disappointment into the offseason and then quickly found his name intertwined in speculation that he was a release or trade candidate. It was not unfounded, at least the trade part. Andrews, like fellow tight ends Isaiah Likely and Charlie Kolar, is entering the final year of his contract and possesses a $16.9 million salary-cap hit. General manager Eric DeCosta was noncommittal early in the offseason about Andrews' future, and he listened to trade inquiries about the three-time Pro Bowl selection.
The Ravens, though, believe they are a better team with Andrews on the field, and they weren't interested in moving the 29-year-old for a late Day 3 draft pick. Andrews maintained that he blocked out the trade talk and put all of his focus into preparing for the 2025 season.
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'It's always just putting in the work, and (however) the cards are played, they're played,' he said. 'But I focus on myself and this team and let all the other stuff deal however it's going to be dealt with, but I'm extremely excited to be here. This is an incredible organization. I'm very thankful to be here for my eighth year.'
That the franchise's all-time leader in receiving touchdowns is attending voluntary workouts this week almost feels like a turning of the page from a tumultuous offseason and the disappointment in Buffalo.
'It's tough. This is my life. I put a lot of work into this, and everything I do is kind of focused on that,' Andrews said. 'It wasn't the way that I had planned it, but that's all part of the story. I've been using it (as motivation), and I've had an incredible offseason, and I'm excited just to show what I can continue to do and continue to prove myself and step up in big moments. And that's the thing about sports is that it doesn't always fall your way. It doesn't always go your way, but it's how you bounce back.
'Really just surrounded myself with good people, not look at the outside noise and look myself in the mirror obviously, and just know the type of player that I am, know the type of work that I put in, and, as a professional, it's all about being able to move past it, but storing that in the memory bank and understanding that this is not the end.'
Andrews incorporated some advice from teammate Derrick Henry and altered his offseason workout routine. He said the goal was to be better prepared mentally and physically for the long grind of the season.
For many weeks, it wasn't clear whether he'd even be in Baltimore. That's what made his presence at OTAs so significant this week.
'I'm glad everybody's speculation has died down, and I finally have to give him a hug when he came in, because we're finally back at it, finally back on the turf together,' Likely said. 'That's big bro. He's been teaching me since I got here. From the run game, the pass game, how to watch film, how to take care of my body, and really just (cherish) every moment in the league. I'm glad to have him back, glad I have 89 with me all the time.'
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• Jackson's return highlighted what was a well-attended OTA for the Ravens. The only players not on the field in some capacity were right guard Daniel Faalele, linebackers Kyle Van Noy and Jake Hummel, and defensive backs Chidobe Awuzie and Ar'Darius Washington. Harbaugh said Faalele is working his way through some 'physical things,' and he expects him to be on the field soon.
Awuzie participated in Tuesday's OTA but missed Wednesday's session with an illness. Washington tore his Achilles during the offseason workout program earlier this month. Harbaugh said Washington had a 'clean tear' and he's aiming to return to the field by November or December. Rookie third-round offensive tackle Emery Jones Jr. watched practice from the sideline as he continues to rehab a shoulder injury.
• Odafe Oweh is among several key Ravens who are participating in the voluntary OTAs despite entering the final year of their contracts. Oweh's presence stood out on Wednesday because of his new physique. Just days after the playoff loss to the Bills, Oweh headed down to Florida with one goal in mind: getting bigger and stronger. The result? He now weighs 265 pounds after adding 20 pounds to his frame.
After a 10-sack season last year, Oweh hopes the added weight helps diversify his pass rush and gives him more of a power element to go along with his speed and explosiveness.
• As part of their kicking competition to replace the released Justin Tucker, the Ravens are rotating days of repetitions for rookie sixth-round pick Tyler Loop and undrafted rookie free agent John Hoyland. Wednesday was Hoyland's turn as he handled the kicking duties.
In his first media availability since the Ravens released Tucker on May 5, Harbaugh said the decision was 'complex.' Said Harbaugh: 'It's a multi-layer decision. If it was just a black and white simple thing, then it would be easy to understand, but I think anybody can look at the whole thing in perspective and say, 'OK, we've got to have a kicker ready to go,' and there's a whole lot of moving parts of that deal. It is just the reality of it.'
• The Ravens agreed to terms with veteran defensive tackle John Jenkins on May 16, but the deal won't become official until after June 1. That explains why he hasn't officially been added to the Ravens' 90-man roster. Harbaugh said the delay is because the team needs a roster spot for Jenkins, and it'll get one once the retirement of nose tackle Michael Pierce becomes official post-June 1.
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• Harbaugh said he's in the process of finalizing details for joint practices with the Indianapolis Colts, who the Ravens open the preseason against in Baltimore on Aug. 7, and the Washington Commanders, who will host the Ravens on Aug. 23. Harbaugh said it will be just one joint practice with each team, similar to the arrangement with the Green Bay Packers last summer.