Baltimore Ravens tight end Mark Andrews has been ruled out of Thursday night’s game — and perhaps the season — after suffering a scary lower body injury on the first drive, a big blow to a Ravens passing game that runs through him. Here is the latest we know.
Latest Mark Andrews Injury Update
Andrews got hurt on what appeared to be a hip-drop tackle by Logan Wilson after making a catch in the red zone. As Andrews was receiving medical attention on the field, teammates were visibly upset.
Here’s the play where Mark Andrews was injured. He’s now in the medical tent for further evaluation.pic.twitter.com/CdMtk7cB0y
— Pro Football Network (@PFN365) November 17, 2023
After a quick evaluation on the field, he was able to walk off the field under his own power. Andrews went straight to the sideline medical tent for further evaluation. He ultimately hobbled into the locker room.
The Ravens later revealed that Andrews suffered an ankle injury and a short time after listing him questionable to return, ruled him out. The Amazon Prime broadcast team reported that Andrews went to the X-ray room at M&T Bank Stadium on crutches.
After the game, Ravens coach John Harbaugh told reporters that Andrews is likely out for the season, calling it a “very serious ankle injury.”
Andrews entered the game with 43 catches for 521 yards and a team-high six touchdowns.
The so-called hip-drop tackle is one of the most dangerous legal plays in football and is such a high-risk technique that the league is strongly considering banning it.
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“It is an unforgiving behavior and one that we need to try to define and get out of the game,” NFL executive Jeff Miller said last month. “To quantify it for you, we see an injury more or less every week in the regular season on the hip-drop.”
The hip-drop technique is when defenders grab ball carriers around the waste and violently pull them backwards or to the side. It is a lot like the horse-collar tackle, which has been outlawed for nearly two decades.
Fantasy Implications of Mark Andrews’ Injury
After making his second grab of the game, Andrews was tackled awkwardly inside the 5-yard line and immediately signaled for help. He was able to walk off under his own power, though. If Andrews does miss extended time, Isaiah Likely would take over as the primary tight end.
Likely comes with a ton of hype, but when he filled in for Andrews back in Week 1, the results were underwhelming. Nevertheless, he would be a worthwhile addition for fantasy managers, and his name will appear on the Week 12 waiver wire column.
But the most likely impact will be more targets funneled to Zay Flowers. We also could see a resurgence from Rashod Bateman, who has seen an increase in snaps and routes run over the past two weeks.
-Fantasy Analysis provided by PFN’s Jason Katz