If the Baltimore Ravens want to be sellers before the NFL trade deadline on Tuesday, there are probably quite a few players who fans can think of that need to go — led by a group that includes the franchise’s career leader in receptions, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns in tight end Mark Andrews.
Unfortunately for the Ravens, The Athletic’s Jeff Zrebiec believes no teams are interested in taking on Andrews and the 3-year, $39.3 million contract he signed midway through the 2025 season.
Zrebiec put the 3-time Pro Bowler and former NFL All-Pro at the top of his list of players with “No Real Market” value in a trade.
“It’s been an extremely difficult year for Andrews, who has struggled with drops and penalties and is averaging a career-low 7.6 yards per catch,” Zrebiec wrote. “It’s been tough to watch at times, given how much Andrews has meant to the franchise and how hard he plays. Signing the 31-year-old Andrews to a three-year, $39.3 million contract extension in December suddenly looks like one of DeCosta’s biggest miscues. It seems far more likely that Andrews will be a post-June 1 cut this offseason.”
Ravens Chose Mark Andrews Over Young Stars
The Ravens had a problem at tight end that most teams would have welcomed 1 year ago. Too much talent and not enough money to go around.
With 3 tight ends who could start almost anywhere in the NFL — Mark Andrews, Isaiah Likely, and Charlie Kolar — the Ravens had to choose. Likely seemed likely to land the big-money deal, but after nagging injuries and several questionable on-field decisions, Andrews secured the bag with a 3-year, $39.3 million contract extension during the regular season.
Now, with Likely to the New York Giants and Kolar to the Los Angeles Chargers in free agency, the Ravens have all their eggs in Andrews’ basket.
Andrews landed at No. 9 on ESPN’s annual position rankings, a steep drop from 2025, when he ranked No. 6.
“Andrews limped into the top 10 after a down year in 2025,” ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler wrote on July 10. “But he has been a fixture on this list for several years. His 422 receiving yards marked a career low. Quarterback Lamar Jackson missed four games, and the passing game had trouble finding a rhythm last season. Andrews still posted 1.3 receptions over expectation as tracked by NFL Next Gen Stats … the Ravens still believe he has good football left, as evidenced by the three-year, $39.2 million extension he signed last year. Baltimore let two tight ends — Likely and Charlie Kolar — walk in free agency.”
Ravens Should Have Kept Isaiah Likely
It’s hard to understand why the Ravens chose Andrews over Likely — the younger, more athletic, and more talented option of the two.
Likely signed a 3-year, $40 million contract with the Giants that could be worth up to $47.5 million, and reunited with former Ravens head coach John Harbaugh.
He’s also been arguably the breakout star for the first-place Giants, and is playing at a Pro Bowl or NFL All-Pro level with 46 receptions for 448 yards and 6 touchdowns through eight games.
Ravens Have ‘No Real Market’ to Trade $39 Million All-Pro