Ravens' Mark Andrews Activated off IR, Will Return from Ankle Injury vs. Chiefs

The Baltimore Ravens activated tight end Mark Andrews from injured reserve Friday, paving the way for him to play in Sunday's AFC Championship Game against the Kansas City Chiefs.

Andrews has been out since suffering an ankle injury in Nov. 16's win over the Cincinnati Bengals. He neared a return leading up to last week's divisional-round game against the Houston Texans, but the Ravens chose to keep Andrews on the sideline for another contest.

When healthy, Andrews remains one of the premier tight ends in football. He recorded 45 receptions for 544 yards and six touchdowns in 10 games during the 2023 regular season, with the latter figure being the lowest total of his career.

"It's been a test, that's for sure," Andrews told reporters last week. "It's the first time I've ever been through anything like this. It's tough, but you get around this team, and you get around the guys. Everybody in this building has been extremely supportive. I can't tell you how much that means to me, how much it matters, and it makes me want to come here, work every day, come back to this team and help this team win a Super Bowl. That's what matters."

The Ravens found success with second-year tight end Isaiah Likely playing in Andrews' stead, so it's possible Baltimore will deploy more two-tight-end sets with both available this weekend.

Andrews was initially expected to miss the remainder of the season, so getting him back is nothing short of a boon for a Ravens team that's looked like the best unit in the AFC for months.

Sunday will mark the first time in Ravens history that the team has hosted a conference championship game.