Mark Andrews returns as Ravens’ tight end anchor, expected to mentor rookies Matt Hibner and Josh Cuevas in training camp

The Baltimore Ravens’ training camp tight end competition will have a familiar center of gravity in Mark Andrews. In a team preview released Monday, the Ravens described Andrews as returning to lead the position group and to serve as the mentor for two rookies, Matt Hibner and Josh Cuevas, selected by Baltimore. The emphasis is not on a single depth-chart outcome, but on how quickly a veteran standard can carry over to players still learning the pace and details of an NFL offense.

Andrews, entering his ninth season with the Ravens, will remain the team’s lone returning tight end. The Ravens’ all-time leader in receptions, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns, Andrews has spent the bulk of his career shaping how Baltimore uses the position both as a reliable pass target and as a leverage point in the passing game. That track record matters in camp, because tight end development often hinges on route timing, coverage recognition, and converting practice work into consistent production when defenses adjust.

The Ravens also highlighted Andrews’ durability and baseline production across seasons. According to the team, Andrews has never had fewer than 45 receptions and five touchdowns since his rookie season. For a quarterback and an entire passing package, that kind of historical floor creates stability in the play-calling process, even as younger players earn reps alongside the starters.

For Hibner and Cuevas, Baltimore’s message is essentially about role clarity and apprenticeship. Training camp is where rookies are typically evaluated on fundamentals, playbook grasp, and how they perform in different coverage looks. By putting them in the same meeting and practice ecosystem as a proven target like Andrews, the Ravens are aiming to compress that learning curve, whether their contributions arrive in specific packages or grow as preseason reps accumulate.

The roster reality going into camp is that tight end groups are rarely static. Even when a team has a clear lead at the position, it still needs capable options for run blocking, short-yardage situations, and third-down matchups. Andrews’ presence can influence how quickly Hibner and Cuevas handle their assignments, because veterans often set practice standards for tempo, body positioning, and staying on the same page with the quarterback.

Still, it is worth separating mentorship from job guarantees. The Ravens’ preview frames the competition as an ongoing process rather than a predetermined conclusion, and rookies generally face a transition period in the first half of training camp. What to watch over the next weeks is how quickly Hibner and Cuevas build trust in timing windows with the quarterback, and whether they can consistently run the routes and assignments required for meaningful reps.

At a higher level, the Ravens’ tight end depth chart has implications for how the team protects its offense through the season. If Andrews remains a dependable focal point while the younger players show enough reliability to earn specific packages, Baltimore can maintain flexibility without forcing the playbook to narrow. That combination, a veteran ceiling paired with developing supporting roles, is often the difference between a comfortable red-zone plan and a more limited one as injuries and matchups accumulate.

For camp observers, the most telling evidence will not be a single practice flash, but whether the rookies replicate the process Andrews represents: repeatable execution, smart adjustments, and the ability to translate coaching into consistent on-field decisions. If the mentorship plan works, Hibner and Cuevas will not just “compete,” they will start pushing the group’s overall standard upward by the time games begin.