A year ago this week, the Chiefs missed their best tight end in an upset loss to the Lions. This year, though, both Kansas City and Baltimore will have their full complement when they kick off the NFL season Thursday night.
That’s because Ravens All-Pro Mark Andrews returned to practice Friday, two weeks after the tight end escaped serious injury in a car accident.
Last year, Andrews fractured his fibula and missed the final six regular-season games, then returned in time to play in the AFC Championship, a 17-10 loss to Kansas City. But Andrews wasn’t 100 percent. This year against the Chiefs, as Andrews told Clifton Brown of BaltimoreRavens.com, he feels much better.
“It’s big,” Andrews said. “Having the last game being played against them and not really feeling like myself just yet. Body feels healthy. I worked really hard this offseason, had a good camp. It’s time to go put the work in for this season.”
The Ravens didn’t feel like themselves in that game, either. But the purple lining in Andrews’ absence was the emergence of Isaiah Likely, who caught five touchdowns last season. With Andrews back on the field, the Ravens can now pair a prolific run game with the best tight-end room in the NFL. Likely has turned a corner, Baltimore believes.
“He’s kind of changed from being a rookie to being a vet,” general manager Eric DeCoasta said Friday, “and I just feel like he and Mark Andrews will be the best tandem at their position in the league and really create a lot of problems for opposing defensive coordinators.”
Thursday’s kickoff game at Arrowhead Stadium will feature the NFL’s most productive tight ends since 2000. Over the last four seasons, Travis Kelce (4,863) and Andrews (3,453) rank first and second, respectively, in receiving yards among tight ends.