Ravens All-Pro TE Mark Andrews suffered a “serious” ankle injury in Week 11, leaving a massive hole in the offense. But the perfect replacement for Andrews is available for the taking.
Three-time Prow Bowl TE Zach Ertz is a free agent after being granted his release from the Cardinals last week. Baltimore has been named as a team to “keep an eye on” for the veteran as he wants to play for a contender.
It would make a lot of sense for the Ravens, who are the No. 2 seed in the AFC with a 9-3 record, to add Ertz. They have Super Bowl aspirations this season and it will only help to add a player that’s already hoisted a Lombardi Trophy in his career (Super Bowl LII champion).
Ertz has shown he has some gas left in the tank, posting 27 catches for 187 yards and a touchdown in seven games this year. He was placed on injured reserve earlier this season due to a quadriceps injury but is fully healthy now.
There is still a chance that Andrews makes a return this year, but it wouldn’t be possible unless Baltimore makes it deep into the postseason.
According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Andrews suffered a cracked fibula and an ankle ligament injury. It is still believed to be a long-term injury, but there’s a chance he could return later in the year.
“It wasn’t as bad as initially feared right after the game. It’s a little cleaner than they thought based on the MRI,” head coach John Harbaugh told reporters. “There might be an outside chance he could get back at some point in time. We’ll just have to see how that goes, but there is some optimism.”
Either way, adding Ertz to the already talented roster is a win-win scenario. The Ravens will have the talented tight end the rest of the way or create a two-headed monster at the position if Andrews were able to get healthy.
