Ravens Trade Proposal Sends Mark Andrews to AFC Rival

Offloading Mark Andrews continues to be a will they or won’t they conundrum for the Baltimore Ravens, but the franchise could be tempted to swap the 30-year-old tight end for early-round compensation in the 2026 NFL draft, even if it means sending the All-Pro to an AFC rival.

The trade proposal involves the Los Angeles Chargers, a team not short of connections to the Ravens. Most notably thanks to the presence of offensive coordinator Greg Roman, under whose watch Andrews played the best football of his career.

Roman would be grateful to the AFC West outfit for sending a third-round choice in next year’s draft to Baltimore. There was a time when an early- to mid-round pick wouldn’t have been enough to tempt the Ravens into even considering dealing Andrews, but things have changed.

The change owe a lot to the disastrous end to last season endured by the usually dependable veteran. Andrews is also under threat from the growing importance of a younger, more athletic and versatile player at his position.

Trade With Chargers Best Outcome for Ravens

This isn’t the first time the idea of shipping Andrews to L.A. has been mooted. There’s a reason it’s such a popular idea.

Roman’s ownership of the call sheet, as well as the presence of head coach Jim Harbaugh, brother of Ravens’ boss John, is changing how the Chargers attack defenses. The Bolts are building the same overtly physical and smash-mouth offense Roman called for years at M&T Bank Stadium.

It’s a system based on bludgeoning opponents on the ground with relentless running, while using similar brute force in a high-percentage and risk-averse passing game. The Chargers already have one bruising target, second-year wide receiver Ladd McConkey, but Andrews would be the underneath outlet they need.

He still knows how to work between the numbers and get open inside the red zone. Those same qualities helped No. 89 snag 107 catches from 153 targets back in 2021.

That was a banner year for Andrews, but he’d also helped quarterback Lamar Jackson to be named NFL MVP two years earlier. Jackson targeted Andrews 98 times during a breakout campaign, connecting with the tight end for 10 touchdowns.

Andrews actually caught a career-best 11 touchdown passes last season, but the one scoring grab that got away continues to haunt him.

Mark Andrews Primed for Fresh Start

Letting what would have been the game-tying two-point conversion slip through his hands against the Buffalo Bills in the Divisional Playoffs put a blot on a fine career for Andrews. It also led to some gruelling soul-searching for the seven-year pro.

Andrews is ready to go again, but the Ravens hardly need him to when Isaiah Likely is emerging as the superpower of their offense. Likely is a roving mismatch who can beat coverage in more ways than Andrews and is also becoming a go-to target for Jackson in clutch situations and broken plays.

Jackson’s greater reliance on Likely isn’t the only problem for Andrews. His role is also under siege from the growing value of wideouts in the offense called by Roman’s successor Todd Monken.

The latter’s more expansive schemes have been good for history-making and newly paid Rashod Bateman, while Zay Flowers could be in line to run more inside routes during his third year.

Flowers working the middle of the field more often would be bad news for Andrews. He can also count on five-time Pro Bowler DeAndre Hopkins taking away his fair share of targets, especially with Monken already redefining the veteran’s role.

The competition for catches is getting crowded and intense. Even more so than last season, when Andrews experienced issues with playing time and targets.

He eventually played his way back into prominence, but that’s going to be tougher this year. Better for Andrews to join the Chargers and instantly become a safety valve for strong-armed passer Justin Herbert.

Better for the Ravens to act quickly and secure solid draft capital for an experienced player who looks like he’s starting to pass his peak.