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The Baltimore Ravens will not have the services of Pro Bowl tight end Mark Andrews at their disposal against the Houston Texans on Saturday.
Andrews, who has been out since fracturing in his fibula and damaging ankle ligaments in Week 11 against the Lions, returned to practice earlier this week.
But despite doing so, it appears that Baltimore is preceding with caution with its young star.
Not yet: The #Ravens are not expected to activate star TE Mark Andrews from Injured Reserve to play against the #Texans, as he’s not quite ready to return from a significant ankle injury.
Perhaps next week, as a potential AFC Championship Game appearance was always the goal. pic.twitter.com/PRqnn2eIYz
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 19, 2024
“It’s how I feel at the end of the day,” Andrews said earlier this week when asked about a potential return to play. “Knowing how good this team is, how good our players are, how good our tight ends are, if I feel like I’m going to be helpful to the team, I’m going to go. If I feel like I’m close but not there, I’m going to let these guys go and hopefully get there next weekend.”
Clearly he didn’t feel good enough to feel like he could help the Ravens against the Texans.
Andrews caught 45 balls for 544 yards and six touchdowns in his 10 games played this season. He led the team in receptions at the time of the injury.
Rookie first-rounder Zay Flowers stepped up in his absence. Flowers caught 77 passes for 858 yards in his debut season in the NFL. While veteran superstar Odell Beckham Jr. has looked closer to the player that many fans remember late in the season.
But Andrews’ absence is undoubtedly a big a deal. He’s one of the league’s most dynamic pass-catching weapons, especially in the red zone, and is a trust security blanket for QB Lamar Jackson.
Should the Ravens survive the Texans, they’ll undoubtedly hope the Oklahoma product is able to return against either the Buffalo Bills or Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game.
If he’s not, it’ll be an uphill battle for Baltimore to reach the Super Bowl.