Mark Andrews Named Breakout Candidate for 2026
Breakout candidates are typically young players who have shown flashes of how good they can be, rather than veteran players with franchise records on their resumes.
That's why tight end Mark Andrews seems like an odd choice to be tabbed as the Ravens' breakout candidate for the coming season by CBS Sports’ Tyler Sullivan. Andrews, a three-time Pro Bowler, is the Ravens' all-time leader in touchdowns, receiving touchdowns, receptions, and receiving yards.
However, Andrews is coming off a season in which he posted a career-low 422 receiving yards. Sullivan believes Andrews, who turns 31 one week before the Ravens' season opener, will look more like himself this year.
"Remember, the Ravens saw fellow tight end Isaiah Likely leave in free agency to sign a deal with the Giants. That leaves 36 targets from 2025 up for grabs, and the Ravens didn't bring in much competition to take over Likely's role," Sullivan wrote. "Durham Smythe was the veteran addition, and he has just 13 catches over his previous two seasons, while Baltimore spent Day 3 picks on Matt Hibner and Josh Cuevas.
"It's a long way of saying that Andrews should have the eye of Lamar Jackson even more than he has over the past few seasons, setting the stage for a bounce-back campaign in 2026."
New Offensive Coordinator Declan Doyle said he's "been really impressed" by what he's seen from Andrews this offseason.
"If he's not our hardest worker on offense, he's one of the hardest workers on offense," Doyle said. "You can see him all the time [during] special teams [practice], kind of honing in on his craft. He's really bought into trying to develop in the run game and continuing ... He's a guy that's been in the league for quite some time, and he's still looking to refine his game. So, that's something that you appreciate."