Mark Andrews suffered ligament damage and a cracked fibula after an ankle injury in Week 11, but the Baltimore Ravens tight end may be able to return for the club’s Divisional Round playoff game against the Houston Texans on Saturday.
What’s the latest on Andrews’ status? Is he practicing? And can he actually play this weekend? Let’s run through the answers to all those questions as the Ravens attempt to advance to the AFC Championship Game for the first time since 2012.
Mark Andrews Injury Update
Andrews went down in November following a hip-drop tackle by Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Logan Wilson. While Andrews’ injury initially appeared season-ending, head coach John Harbaugh said the veteran pass catcher had an “outside chance” of returning for a playoff run.
“Mark is so darn tough,” Harbaugh said. “You say a guy eats, sleeps, and breathes football — that’s Mark Andrews. So, he’s going to do everything he can to get back down the road.”
The Ravens designated Andrews to return from injured reserve (IR) last Friday, opening a three-week window during which he can be added to the club’s active roster. But the three-time Pro Bowler may not have to wait that long.
After managing a limited practice on Tuesday, Andrews was a full participant on Wednesday. While the 28-year-old could always suffer a setback, players who fully practice rarely sit out of games. With everything on the line this weekend, Andrews may be trending toward suiting up.
However, Andrews was noncommittal about playing this weekend when asked about his injury on Wednesday.
“It’s how I feel, at the end of the day,” Andrews said. “But just knowing how good this team is, how good our players are, how good our tight ends are — if I feel like I’m gonna be helpful to the team, I’m gonna go. If I feel like I’m close but not there, I’m gonna let these guys go and hopefully get there next weekend.”
Harbaugh was encouraged on Tuesday, even before Andrews put in a full session today.
“(Tuesday) was his best showing so far,” Harbaugh said yesterday. “He really took a big step. Just what you saw today, we saw as well, so that’s encouraging.”
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Andrews posted 45 receptions for 544 yards and six touchdowns in 10 regular-season games before going down.
While the Ravens would have preferred to have him on the field, their offense kept rolling without him. Baltimore ranked second in points and yards per game in Andrews’ last five starts (Weeks 7 through 11) but didn’t experience a significant dropoff (third in points, sixth in yards) with second-year TE Isaiah Likely in the lineup to close the year.
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