UPDATE (8:47 PM): Andrews has been ruled out by the team with his ankle injury.
Our original story is below.
Baltimore Ravens TE Mark Andrews suffered a potentially serious ankle injury early in the team’s Thursday night game against the Cincinnati Bengals.
He is officially questionable to return with an ankle injury, per the team.
Andrews was tackled after a nine-yard gain and looked to initially be in severe pain after going down, tackled by Bengals LB Logan Wilson.
UPDATE (8:45 PM): Andrews is reportedly on crutches in the locker room, unable to put any weight on his injured ankle.
Wilson used the “hip drop” tackle commonly executed by defenders who are trailing a defender. Andrews’ leg was caught under him as he went to the ground. One doctor on Twitter speculated it was an ankle or mid-foot injury. The NFL has taken a renewed effort to examine the legality of hip drop tackles with many believing the league will legislate them in the offseason.
Andrews was able to walk off under his own power, though he had a limp as he did so. After initially going to the blue medical tent, he then walked with trainers to the Ravens’ locker room.
The top weapon in Baltimore’s passing game, Andrews entered Week 11 catching 43 passes for 521 yards and six touchdowns. He had more receiving touchdowns than the rest of the Ravens’ players combined. A three-time Pro Bowler and one-time All-Pro, losing Andrews for any amount of time will be a blow to Baltimore’s offense, though a stronger wide receiver group this season would cushion the blow. Andrews’ top backup at tight end is second-year Isaiah Likely, though he’s caught just nine passes on the year.
Pittsburgh won’t play Baltimore again until Week 18, the final game of the regular season, but Andrews’ injury will still have big-time AFC North implications in a highly contested division.
