Ravens' Mark Andrews seeks redemption as a late birthday gift

Football, especially at the NFL level, has long been a 'What have you done for me lately?' type of animal. Great careers can be defined by successful moments or unfortunate occurrences. No one knows that better than Baltimore Ravens tight end Mark Andrews.

He was the 86th player taken during the third round of the 2018 NFL Draft. The decision followed a phenomenal final NCAA season that placed him on NFL radars. He was named a Unanimous All-American in 2017. He won, among other nods, the Ozzie Newsome Award, an honor presented annually to college football's top tight end.

It didn't take long for him to make his impression felt professionally. He earned First-Team honors in 2021. He has been named a Pro Bowler three times. Lately, he has been unfortunately described as something else, a goat. And, we don't mean 'G.O.A.T.' in a good way.

Mark Andrews seeks redemption vs. the Buffalo Bills.

Though they've never said this, the coming 2025-26 NFL season is about redemption. Nothing less than a Super Bowl run will be deemed as success. We've discussed postseason failure ad nauseam, and whether fair or unfair, one of the lasting memories of the most recent disappointments is what will always be remembered as the worst performance of Andrews' career.

Frankly, after all he has done for the organization, he deserves more than that, but as stated, the NFL is a 'What have you done for me lately?' league. Recency bias influences our analysis, but there's a silver lining. No one knows that better than the Ravens and Mark Andrews.

September 6th is the tight end's birthday. There is hope that 30 is indeed the new 20, and how about this for a coincidence? The 2025 NFL season also doubles as the Ravens' 30th. Game one comes one day after Andrews' birthday.

Nothing would make for a better present than celebrating his birthday with a win to take home on the plane. Isn't it cool that this is the game? Same opponent as last January... Exact location as the game played last January... Expect a different result, though, and expect a monster game from Number 89.

This article originally appeared on Ravens Wire: Ravens TE Mark Andrews eyes redemption as a late birthday present