In recent weeks, one of the hot rumors going around the NFL has been that star tight end Mark Andrews may not be a member of the Baltimore Ravens for that much longer.
Andrews is headed into the final year of his four-year, $56 million contract and is set to draw a base salary of $7 million with bonuses totaling $7.875 million, according to Over the Cap. With Andrews turning 30 this year and the Ravens having Isaiah Likely waiting in the wings at the position, there’s been speculation that they could move on from Andrews and try to get younger at the position.
This week, Andrews addressed the rumors.
“At the end of the day, I think [general manager Eric DeCosta] said it perfectly: He’s in the business of keeping great players and it’s a business at the end of the day,” Andrews said, via ESPN. “You can’t be surprised by anything, but I’m a Raven.”
DeCosta had previously demurred on the possibility of an Andrews trade. “There’s always a lot of unpredictability with the draft,” he said. “I never know what’s going to happen. 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.”
For his part, Andrews said he’s got a good relationship with the team and is not focused on the rumors surrounding his status.
“I know the Ravens and my relationship is incredibly strong and I trust in [DeCosta] and everybody there over at the Ravens,” Andrews said. “And there’s nothing on my end really to share. For me, it’s just been working hard this offseason and trying to get in the best shape of my life, trying to have the best season of my life coming up and winning a Super Bowl.”
If he does leave the Ravens, his career in Baltimore will have ended on a sour note after he dropped a potential game-tying two-point conversion against the Buffalo Bills with just over a minute remaining in the divisional round of the playoffs. He did have a solid season, though, wherein he caught 55 passes for 673 yards and a career-high 11 touchdowns. He was at times uninvolved in the offense but he also had some huge games. A team that trades for him will likely still be getting one of the league’s best tight ends, though it’s not a guarantee that he can play at that level for much longer, as he’ll soon be heading into his 30s.