The Baltimore Ravens are walking a tightrope right now. Sitting at 6-6, they’re teetering on the edge of playoff contention, and Sunday’s clash with the Pittsburgh Steelers isn’t just another AFC North rivalry game - it’s a must-win with first place on the line.
The stakes couldn’t be higher. The winner grabs control of the division.
The loser? Their postseason hopes take a serious hit.
But amid all the urgency, Baltimore made a move that turned heads across the league. The Ravens locked in one of their cornerstone players, tight end Mark Andrews, to a three-year extension worth $39.3 million, with $26 million guaranteed. It’s a bold, forward-looking decision right in the middle of a season that’s been anything but predictable.
Andrews’ new deal isn’t just about keeping a fan favorite around - it signals something deeper about how the Ravens view their offensive identity moving forward. For months, Andrews had been floated as a trade candidate, with speculation swirling that Baltimore might move on from him before the 2025 NFL Draft.
That’s out the window now. This extension all but confirms Andrews is staying put, likely through the prime of his career.
And it makes sense. When healthy, Andrews is one of the most reliable tight ends in football.
He’s a matchup nightmare - too quick for linebackers, too strong for safeties - and his chemistry with Lamar Jackson has been a staple of Baltimore’s offense since they first linked up. In a league where tight ends are increasingly becoming focal points, keeping Andrews in purple and black gives the Ravens a proven weapon as they look to stabilize their offense.
But this move also casts a long shadow over another key piece on the roster: Isaiah Likely.
The second-year tight end out of Coastal Carolina has flashed serious potential. He’s athletic, versatile, and has shown the ability to stretch the field and make contested catches.
Many around the league saw him as the natural successor to Andrews - a younger, cheaper option who could grow into the TE1 role. That path just got a lot murkier.
With Andrews now locked in through 2028 and Likely set to hit free agency in 2026, it’s hard to see a long-term future for both in Baltimore. The Ravens, like every team, have to make tough decisions about where to allocate resources, and it’s rare to see two high-end tight ends coexisting on one roster without one eventually moving on.
And Likely’s potential next chapter? That’s where things get interesting.
He grew up in Massachusetts, and there’s one team in Foxborough that just might be the perfect fit. The Patriots are building around rookie quarterback Drake Maye and could use a dynamic pass-catcher to help ease his transition into the NFL. Hunter Henry remains a steady presence, but adding a player like Likely - who can line up in the slot, stretch the seam, and win in space - would give New England a different kind of weapon.
For the Ravens, this could be the beginning of a changing of the guard - not at tight end, but in terms of how they manage their offensive depth. And for Likely, it might be the start of a homecoming story that writes itself.
For now, though, all eyes are on Sunday. The Ravens have a division to win and a season to save. But with the Andrews extension, they’ve made one thing clear: they’re not just thinking about December - they’re building for the long haul.