Baltimore Ravens’ Mark Andrews Returns to Practice, Uncertain for Playoff Matchup

As the Baltimore Ravens practiced during their postseason bye week, a reward for being the AFC‘s No. 1 seed, a key offensive piece returned to the field: Mark Andrews. The tight end has not played since suffering an ankle injury that cost him the remainder of the regular season on November 16. Despite the Ravens winning six consecutive games without him, Andrews’ return would be a significant boost for quarterback Lamar Jackson.

Andrews was listed as questionable on the injury report and participated fully in practice on Wednesday and Thursday. However, the Ravens decided not to activate him from injured reserve on Friday, leaving his status uncertain for the playoff matchup against the Houston Texans on Saturday.

The Ravens initiated Andrews’ comeback by designating him to return from injured reserve last Friday. According to Ravens head coach John Harbaugh, Andrews is “not quite ready” to make his comeback yet. Players have a three-week window to be activated from the date they are designated to return.

Andrews, who suffered ligament damage to his right ankle during a game against the Cincinnati Bengals, has been steadily progressing in his recovery. He expressed his eagerness to contribute to the team if he feels he is ready, but also acknowledged the importance of not rushing his return.

In the absence of Andrews, the Ravens relied on second-year backup tight ends Isaiah Likely and Charlie Kolar. Likely emerged as the primary replacement, recording five touchdowns and 322 receiving yards on 21 catches over the final six games of the regular season. Despite their success, having Andrews back on the field would provide an additional dimension to the Ravens’ offense.

One player who will definitely be absent from the playoff matchup is cornerback Marlon Humphrey. Humphrey suffered a calf injury in a game against the Miami Dolphins on December 31 and did not practice throughout the week. He has been declared out for the upcoming game.