Mark Andrew’s would be a hot name in free agency if he becomes available.
A tradition as long as NFL free agency has existed is teams bringing in talented players from divisional rivals when presented with the opportunity.
The Cincinnati Bengals could have that opportunity with Baltimore Ravens tight end Mark Andrews this offseason.
Baltimore general manager Eric DeCosta spoke about the veteran at the NFL Combine. While the contents of what he said were positive, sometimes it is the way things are said that speaks louder than any words.
Ravens GM Eric DeCosta on TE Mark Andrews
“He’ll be in the ring of honor someday….We’ll figure out all the roster machinations over the coming weeks but there’s no bigger Mark Andrews fan than me. He’s been a blessing to have on the team” pic.twitter.com/egxbnkZZgi
— Kevin Oestreicher (@koestreicher34) February 25, 2025
One big thing DeCosta mentions is having three talented tight ends under contract going into next season.
This is one of the main reasons we could see the Ravens move on from Andrews. According to OverTheCap.com’s salary cap calculator, Baltimore can save $11 million in cap space by releasing the veteran tight end.
Why would they want that space? We’ll Isaiah Likely — their 25-year-old tight end –is entering the final year of his contract. The team also only currently has just a little over $12.75 million in cap space.
Andrews is going to be turning 30 in early September. His 2024 season was productive with 11 touchdowns, but he has never returned to the same guy who commanded over 100 targets or 1,000 receiving yards. He hasn’t reached those milestones since before Likely was drafted in 2022. The offense simply has more receiving options. May Flowers and Rashod Bateman both were targeted more and had more receiving options. Both only have two years left on their deals, and Flowers may be looking for an extension sooner than later, and wideouts are not cheap nowadays.
Not to mention that Andrews had the catastrophic drop in the Divisional Round against the Buffalo Bills that cost the team a chance at the AFC Championship game against the Kansas City Chiefs.
These are just some of the reasons the team could move on, but it is obvious Andrews is still highly regarded as a tight end, even if he isn’t that same dynamic mismatch he once was in his prime.
But we have to ask — if he does get his release — should Cincinnati give him a call?
The uninteresting answer is maybe (but probably not). There are so many variables. The one known quantity is the Bengals need a tight end. Erik All Jr. likely will miss next season after his injury this year. Despite a promising rookie showing, that doesn’t help in 2025 if he can’t suit up.
The big question is what will actually happen with Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, and Trey Hendrickson, as well as what cap-saving moves Cincinnati will make.
If the Bengals extend all of those players and make as much room as possible, if the price is right I could see the marriage being enticing for both sides. Andrews is a red-zone monster, and the Bengals have had their struggles there at times. He also would face single coverage consistently over the middle, so he could really take advantage of that reality after being one of the primary focuses of opposing defenders in Baltimore.
Not to mention Andrews may like the idea of facing the Ravens twice a year.
Still, he is about to be on the wrong side of 30. Quarterback Joe Burrow also has mentioned tight end Mike Gesicki (also about to be on the wrong side of 30) as a guy he wants back in stripes next season in the same vein as the big three free agents everyone is focused on. He will likely be a cheaper option than Andrews on the open market.
It is a nice idea, but the Bengals may be better off using that same money to bring in a defender to help turn that side of the ball around.
