Mark Andrews believes Ravens tight end tandem will be ‘special’ in 2024

Andrews and third-year pro Isaiah Likely are poised to be a dangerous duo in Year 2 of Todd Monken’s offense.

The Baltimore Ravens already had a universally recognized top-three tight end heading into last season with three-time Pro Bowler Mark Andrews. He was on pace for another standout season with 45 catches, 544 receiving yards and six touchdowns through his first 10 appearances.

Unfortunately, Andrews suffered a major ankle injury that required surgery and caused him to miss the remainder of the regular season. He also missed the team’s first playoff game before returning for the AFC championship.

During his absence, 2022 fourth-round pick Isaiah Likely didn’t just fill in admirably but essentially picked up where his mentor left off. He broke out down the stretch in the second half of the 2023 season. In the final six weeks of the year, Likely posted 21 receptions, 322 receiving yards and a career-high five touchdowns. He previously recorded only nine catches, 89 yards and no scores before Andrews went down.

Between the two of them, Andrews and Likely combined for 75 receptions on 101 targets for 955 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns last season. While the Ravens weren’t able to find a way for them both to be consistently involved in the offense when both on the field together, that won’t be the case in 2024.

When asked what he thinks the two will accomplish working in tandem this upcoming season, Andrews told reporters last week that “it’s going to be special.”

“When you have two guys that are dynamic, [there will be] mismatches all over the field – it doesn’t matter where you put us,” Andrews said. “That’s tough to game-plan for. [We’re] both guys that love to play ball, love to compete, and it’s going to be fun. Really, our whole tight end room is special right now, and I’m excited about that. We’re just trying to grow and get better each and every day. [I’m] very thankful to have the tight end group that we have and just continue to get better. So, it’ll be fun to see how we’re used.”

Likely echoed similar sentiments but went out of his way to praise Andrews, saying he is “definitely the best in the league at what he does.” He also cited all of the other weapons the Ravens have on offense at the other skill position spots who are capable of being explosive playmakers.

“[I’m] finding my way in the offense as a chess piece, just seeing where I can fit in,” Likely said. “Having all of us on the same field at the same time, you don’t know whether it’s going to be run or pass, and you don’t know where the explosive play can come from.”

Even after breaking out down the stretch and establishing himself as one of the more talented tight ends in the league, Likely’s main objectives for his third season are having fun and helping the team win by any means.

“I mean, big-picture wise, to always have fun,” Likely said. “I preach myself to always have fun at practice [and] in games, because, like I said, not everybody gets to do this every day – play the sport they’ve loved since they were a little kid. So, a big goal I always have is to have fun, remember why I do this, and obviously, the ultimate goal is to win. I mean, whether I have no targets [or] whether I have the most targets that game, the main emphasis that game is to win, and whatever I can do in that game, in that moment, to come out with the victory [and] to get to the ultimate goal of winning the Super Bowl, I’ll do.”

Andrews and Likely are among the many returning players on offense who have raved about the unit’s potential in the second year under offensive coordinator Todd Monken’s stewardship.

“It’s been fun, just coming back in and seeing just the little nuances in the direction of what we’re trying to do [to] change up [and] keep defenses honest,” Andrews said. “I think we have some really cool and dangerous things that he’s implementing. It’s very much [that] we’re going to see the offense, we’re going to see the defense [then] make a good call and make it right. That’s what you want to be able to do is get into the right call and have your guys fly around. We have a lot of great players – great receivers, great tight ends, and the quarterback is second to none. So, it looks really good right now.”

The six-year veteran has been on two of the most dominant teams in franchise history. The Ravens were unquestionably the NFL’s best team during the 2019 and 2023 seasons but still wound up falling short of the Super Bowl both times.

Heading into his seventh season, having had to overcome injury adversity last year, he is hungrier than ever to help the Ravens contend to win the third title in team history.

“It’s tough to be around for the last six years and play almost every snap, every game and really haven’t missed much and then have that happen – have the type of team that we had last year and probably playing the biggest games that we’ve ever played in and not be able to play in those games,” Andrews said. “That’s tough to look at, especially for me, as a guy [who has] been here for a long time. So, I’m hungry. I’m excited and very motivated to continue to help this team win games, be there for the guys, stay healthy, God-willing, and keep it going.”