Talk about the tight end, Mark Andrews. For one tiny moment, the Ravens fans might have thought of him as their hero. But nah, he got a reality check and that fourth-quarter fumble turned out to be the worst nightmare of his life. From criticism to call mounts for his exit to death threats, the 29-year-old is battling all at once. However, he still has people to support him in his toughest times and Rob Gronkowski is one of them.

The former Patriots tight end recently talked about Andrews’ fumble and had a soothing message for him. “I love Mark Andrews as a player,” Gronk stated. “There is no doubt about that. I love what he has done for the tight-end position. I love what he has done for the Baltimore Ravens. He has the most receipt for touchdown receptions in the Baltimore organization ever in history. It’s just unfortunate what happened and I’m praying for him and I’m hoping that Mark Andrews uses this as fuel in the future and comes through the next time his number is called.

Because, I personally don’t really know Mark Andrews, but the type of player that he is, his work ethic to see what he’s been doing out there throughout his career. He’s gonna have another, you know, he’s gonna have another moment in his life and just pray that he comes through and he’s gonna come through the next time that his number is called.” 

Well, if we’re actually talking about his work ethic, then no doubt that Gronk is true to his words. Remember that week 15 game against the NY Giants? Yeah, that one when Andrews set the Ravens’ franchise record for touchdowns surpassing the star QB, Lamar Jackson after racking up 48th TD of his career. That’s not all, though. He’s also racked up the most receiving touchdowns by a Ravens tight end in a single season. Hitting 11 this year. So, yeah, his work ethic is indeed to watch out for.

However, we can’t take our eyes off of that fumble in the divisional round against the Bills, can we? Even though he had some earlier slip-ups, Lamar Jackson still trusted him in the fourth quarter with a chance to tie the game. The Ravens were already down 27-25, pushing hard for that 2-point conversion, trying to erase a 21-10 halftime deficit. Jackson scrambled, spotted Andrews in the as he was wide open with just a few yards away from the end zone, end boom. The ball slipped.

Since then, Mark Andrews’ having a tough time. On top of that, he’s also entering his contract year in 2025 amidst all this criticism.

Mark Andrews: The contract year dilemma

The Baltimore Ravens signed the tight end for a four-year contract extension worth $56 million. The contract terms? Well, that included $10.1 million in signing a bonus with a whopping $37.5 million. That’s a pretty good offer for someone who was about to set some new franchise record for the Ravens. His contract guaranteed him an annual average salary of $14 million.

As he’s entering in final year of contract extension, the Ravens will be paying him $7 million along with a sweet roster bonus that is due on March 16th. But here’s the catch. Andrews holds $5.9M of dead cap against a $16.9M cap hit. Translation: if the Ravens decide to call “time for a change” with Andrews, they’ll still owe him a sweet $5.9M.

That’s one h*ck of a time for this news to come out, right? I mean, the timing of Spotrac is impeccable to dig out their stats amidst all the heat against the tight end. But neither the Ravens nor any rumor have confirmed that the team is parting ways with him. And why would they? Let’s be real. Andrews’ fumble somehow costed the Ravens their spot to the championship game, but that doesn’t mean they’re gonna trade him, does it?

At the end of the day, as they say, it’s a team game, and that’s exactly what Mark Andrews be hoping from the Ravens.