Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh provided some encouraging injury news on tight end Mark Andrews this week.
Andrews suffered an ankle injury during the Ravens’ win over the Cincinnati Bengals last Thursday, and at the time, it looked like it could be season-ending.
However, Harbaugh has provided a positive update on that front.
“My understanding is, in talking with our trainer and the doctors, wasn’t as bad as initially feared,” Harbaugh said during a press conference on Monday, via Steve Zavala of A to Z Sports. “… It wasn’t as bad as it could have been. It’s cleaner than they thought, based on the MRI.”
While that does not necessarily mean Baltimore will have Andrews back this year, Harbaugh is not ruling out the possibility, saying there “might be an outside chance” that the star returns to the field in 2023.
The loss of Andrews is obviously a gigantic one for the Ravens.
In the 10 games he has played this season, Andrews has logged 45 catches for 544 yards and a team-high six receiving touchdowns. He is second on the club to only wide receiver Zay Flowers in both receptions and receiving yards.
Andrews, who played his collegiate football at the University of Oklahoma, was selected by Baltimore in the third round of the 2018 NFL Draft.
He entered the league the same year as Lamar Jackson and instantly became Jackson’s favorite target when Jackson took over for Joe Flacco under center midway through 2018.
Since then, Andrews has made three trips to the Pro Bowl while earning a First-Team All-Pro selection. His most productive campaign came in 2021, when he hauled in 107 receptions for 1,361 yards and nine scores. Last season, he caught 73 passes for 847 yards while reaching the end zone five times.
Without Andrews, the Ravens’ aerial attack will certainly take a hit, and Jackson will become considerably more reliant on unproven young tight end Isaiah Likely.
Baltimore is 8-3 on the season and will head on the road to battle the Los Angeles Chargers next Sunday.
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