Late for Work: Mark Andrews tabbed as Ravens’ breakout candidate for 2026

What happened, in short: Mark Andrews is being framed as the Baltimore Ravens’ breakout candidate for the 2026 season, even though he is already one of the league’s established stars. The choice is notable because breakout labels typically go to younger players with fewer established career bookends, not to a three-time Pro Bowler who also holds multiple franchise receiving records.

The argument starts with production and role. Andrews is coming off a season in which he posted a career-low 422 receiving yards, a dip that put scrutiny on a player who has long been a centerpiece of the Ravens passing game. He also turns 31 one week before Baltimore’s season opener, which adds pressure to convert offseason work into immediate impact rather than gradual progression.

Baltimore’s situation matters, too, because the Ravens’ tight end market has shifted. The team saw fellow tight end Isaiah Likely leave in free agency, signing elsewhere, which left targets up for grabs from the 2025 season. In the Ravens’ review of the outlook, the context is that 36 targets from 2025 are available for new or expanded roles. That creates a cleaner path for Andrews to regain a higher-volume command of the middle of the field than he had in the prior year.

The competition for that space is described as limited. The Ravens added Durham Smythe as a veteran addition, and the assessment cited in the Ravens piece points to Smythe’s production trend, including just 13 catches over his previous two seasons. Baltimore also spent Day 3 draft capital on tight ends Matt Hibner and Josh Cuevas, setting up a development timeline rather than a plug-and-play replacement for the target volume Likely left behind.

The case for Andrews is also framed as a coaching emphasis rather than only a statistical hope. Offensive coordinator Declan Doyle said he has been impressed by how Andrews approaches his work this offseason. Doyle described Andrews as among the hardest workers on offense and pointed to his consistent involvement during special teams practice, alongside a commitment to developing his run-game contributions, an angle that can matter for how defenses treat tight ends on play-action and inside zone concepts.

The Ravens’ broader roster-building questions remain in the background. The same discussion places a spotlight on what Baltimore would need to address in the trenches, including how much they might have to give up in trade scenarios to land a starting-caliber center. Even without committing to any specific player, the idea is that the Ravens’ offensive skill players can only perform at their best if the protection and run-game foundation holds up.

What to watch next is simple but revealing. In training camp and the preseason, monitor whether Andrews’ route usage and target share climb in ways that match the “bounce-back” framing. Also watch whether his role blends receiving and run-game responsibility more consistently, since Doyle’s comments suggest Baltimore wants him to be more than a pass-catch option in 2026.