The Ravens have agreed to a three-year contract extension with Mark Andrews, ending months of uncertainty about the longtime tight end’s future in Baltimore. The deal is worth $39.3 million with $26 million guaranteed, according to a team source.
Andrews becomes the rare third contract guy in Baltimore, a distinction achieved by the franchise’s top players. The 30-year-old is the team’s all-time leader in receptions (473), receiving yards (5,862) and receiving touchdowns (56). He has 37 catches for 332 yards and five touchdowns in 12 games this year.
“Mark is an all-time Raven, a top competitor and Pro Bowl tight end who is also a big part of our Baltimore community,” said Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta.
Heading into the season, an extension for Andrews appeared unlikely. In fact, there was a ton of speculation that the Ravens could trade Andrews this past offseason, but they never received any offers that made them strongly consider making a move.
The Ravens prioritized signing Isaiah Likely, who is 4.5 years younger than Andrews and is also in his free-agent year. The Ravens’ No. 3 tight end, Charlie Kolar, is also in his contract year. However, the Ravens were unable to reach an agreement with Likely before the season. Likely then fractured his foot in July and missed the first three games. He’s struggled to consistently get involved in the offense since returning.
With the Ravens up against the salary cap this offseason, it’s unlikely they can afford two top-10 tight end deals, so Likely could be the odd man out when free agency begins in March.
Andrews, meanwhile, has had an uneven season as well. His 9.0 yards per reception and 27.7 receiving yards per game are both trending to be career lows. However, he’s also had some strong moments. In the Ravens’ 23-16 victory over the Cleveland Browns in Week 11, Andrews became the franchise’s all-time leader in receiving yards in the first half. His 35-yard touchdown run on a fake quarterback sneak late in the fourth quarter provided the game’s decisive points.
The Ravens have long said that Andrews’ impact transcends off the field. He’s been one of the team’s most respected players because of his tireless work ethic and his competitiveness. Offensive coordinator Todd Monken has said that Andrews practices as hard as any player he’s ever been around.
Andrews also gained further respect from his teammates and coaches for how he handled the trying end to the 2024 season. Andrews shouldered much of the blame for the team’s 27-25 loss to the Buffalo Bills in the AFC divisional playoff round in January. Andrews fumbled in the fourth quarter and also dropped the potential game-tying two-point conversion throw from Lamar Jackson.
Andrews, however, vowed to come back stronger and put the game behind him. He also repeatedly talked around questions about his uncertain future in Baltimore. On Wednesday, he was rewarded.
A third-round pick out of Oklahoma in 2018, Andrews quickly emerged as Jackson’s favorite target and one of the league’s most productive receiving tight ends. He is a three-time Pro Bowler and ranks 28th all-time among tight ends in career receptions, 24th in receiving yards and 12th in receiving touchdowns.
The Ravens initially signed Andrews to a four-year, $56 million contract extension in September 2021, the same year his rookie contract was set to expire. It made Andrews the third-highest-paid tight end in the NFL at the time. His latest deal makes him the sixth-highest-paid tight end in the league.