The Denver Broncos were blown out last weekend in Buffalo by the Bills, who are now AFC Championship Game bound after beating the Baltimore Ravens in another classic AFC playoff matchup. The Broncos had their rear ends handed to them by the Bills, but Denver's beatdown might not be the most embarrassing performance against the Bills this playoffs.
The Bills were on the ropes late in the 4th quarter, as they were up five on defense with just a handful of minutes left. The Ravens were moving the ball, and superstar Lamar Jackson was able to find tight end Mark Andrews over the middle for a huge gain. Despite having a clear runway ahead of him to get across midfield, he tried to juke out a handful of Bills defenders who were behind him and had the ball punched out, leading to a Bills field goal to go up eight.
Mark Andrews's playoff debacle could lead him to the Broncos in 2025
After the Ravens marched down the field, they scored on a huge touchdown pass from Jackson to tight end Isaiah Likely, leaving the Ravens with just needing a two-point conversion. Jackson hit Andrews right in the gut on their two-point play, and the veteran could not bring in the pass. Andrews more or less cost the Ravens the game and might have ended his Baltimore career right then and there.
it became more and more apparent as the season went on that Andrews is not the preferred choice at tight end for Jackson and the Baltimore offense, and his brutal playoff performance might end his Ravens career.
If Andrews were to come available, it would make perfect sense for the Broncos and Sean Payton to bring him in. For starters, Andrews is still a productive tight end and would be worlds better than what the Broncos are currently working with. Although he totaled under 700 yards, he hauled in 11 touchdowns and was incredibly reliable in the red zone.
Andrews fits the Sean Payton mold as a more athletic, pass-catching first tight end who can spread around the field. He turns 30 during the off-season, so a potential new contract for him shouldn't break any crazy marks or barriers that the team might be uncomfortable with. At 6'5" and 250 pounds, he would immediately become the Broncos' second most reliable pass catcher and would add a layer to the Broncos' offense that otherwise does not exist. Even if the Broncos decide to draft a tight end at any point in April's draft, Andrews will remain a strong fit.