Draft week isn’t just about new faces—sometimes it’s about saying goodbye to old ones.
With the 2025 NFL Draft now just days away, most Baltimore Ravens fans are rightfully laser-focused on who’s coming in. But if you’ve been paying close attention to what General Manager Eric DeCosta has been saying (and more importantly, not saying), there’s a different kind of subplot building around one of the most important players in franchise history.
Mark Andrews could be on the move. And it’s not just speculation anymore.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter recently included Andrews on his list of notable veterans who could be dealt during the draft. It’s a surprising name to see on paper. But the more you think about it, the more it tracks. Andrews is entering the final year of his deal with a $16 million cap hit. He’s turning 30 in September. And while still productive, he’s not the dominant, uncoverable monster he was from 2019 to 2021.
Isaiah Likely, meanwhile, is younger, cheaper, and starting to flash. Inserts Scooby-Doo's "Ruh-roh."
Trade winds are blowing around Baltimore’s star tight end
DeCosta didn’t do much to shut down the noise during his pre-draft presser either. When asked about Andrews’ future, the GM said:
“I never know what’s going to happen, but I can tell you this, Mark Andrews is a warrior. He’s a great player and we’re in the business of keeping as many great players as we can.”
That’s... not exactly a vote of confidence.
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport also weighed in, saying the situation is “very, very much up in the air” and that it wouldn’t be surprising to see a team make Baltimore “an offer they can’t refuse.” Rapoport added that Likely—who’s also entering a contract year—looked like a true No. 1 tight end when Andrews was sidelined. And that’s a critical part of all this.
If the Ravens truly believe in Likely’s upside, this is the moment to commit. Keeping both long term probably isn’t happening, and dealing Andrews now could bring back solid draft capital and open up more room to re-sign players like Kyle Hamilton and Tyler Linderbaum, who are both due to break the bank in the next year or so.
As for potential suitors? They’re out there. The LA Chargers make sense with Greg Roman now in Cali. The Colts, Jets, Panthers, and Jaguars have been floated as teams that need reliable pass-catching help. It wouldn’t take a 'godfather offer' to move Andrews, but it would need to make sense. Think Day 2 pick with a quality backup on the offensive line or defensive front, or more draft capital.
Because here’s the hard truth: Andrews isn’t the elite tight end he was years ago. He’s still reliable, still tough in the red zone, and still Lamar’s favorite target when healthy. But he’s about to turn 30. He’ll be a free agent next spring. And if you believe Likely can be the future, and you don’t want to lose both for nothing, now’s the time.
Trading Andrews wouldn't be fun. It would mark the end of an era. But if DeCosta is serious about building for the long haul around Lamar Jackson, Roquan Smith, and Kyle Hamilton, they might have to say goodbye to a fan favorite to keep the future intact.
