Mark Andrews' full participation in Baltimore's final two practices of the week was a welcome surprise, and the star tight end is officially questionable for the Ravens' game on Saturday against the Houston Texans in the AFC Divisional Round.
Ravens head coach John Harbaugh described Andrews' status as "up in the air" on Thursday when talking to reporters prior to the announcement of official game statuses.
Second-year tight end Isaiah Likely has filled Andrews' shoes quite well, catching 21 passes for 322 yards and five touchdowns since Andrews went down with a significant ankle injury on Nov. 16. Adding Andrews back into the mix would only make Baltimore's offense more dangerous.
"It's how I feel, at the end of the day," Andrews told reporters on Wednesday, via the team's official web site. "Just 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'm close and not there, I'm going to let these guys go."
Andrews added he's "doing everything" he can "to get back" in time for Baltimore's playoff opener this weekend.
The Ravens earned the top seed and a Super Wild Card Weekend bye with a strong finish to the 2023 regular season powered by the heroics of quarterback Lamar Jackson, but certainly not limited to him. Welcoming Andrews -- Jackson's favorite target in the past -- should give him another option to make more magic in the most important stretch of the year.
Andrews suffered an ankle injury when he was hip-drop tackled by a Bengals defender during Baltimore's Thursday night win over Cincinnati on Nov. 16. At the time, most everyone believed his season would be over, but he's managed to work his way through rehab well enough to have a chance of returning for the postseason.
