Ravens tight end Mark Andrews returned to practice Friday for the first time since his Aug. 14 car crash, putting him on track to play in Thursday’s season opener against the Kansas City Chiefs.
“I’m feeling really good,” Andrews said. “I’m excited. My body feels good, and I can’t wait for this first game of the season.”
Andrews was involved in a serious crash while driving to the Ravens’ Owings Mills facility for training camp, but no injuries were reported, according to Baltimore County Police. The team said in a statement after the incident that Andrews, a three-time Pro Bowl selection, was set to return to practice “in the coming days,” but he missed the rest of camp.
Days after the crash, Harbaugh said Andrews was dealing with a “very minor thing” but he expected him to be fine. “We’re not messing with him right now,” Harbaugh said. “Don’t worry about Mark.” After the Ravens’ preseason finale Saturday against the Green Bay Packers, Harbaugh said Andrews would be ready for Week 1.
Andrews called the crash “extremely scary,” though he joked that teammates were wondering why he was back at team meetings an hour later. He said the scare “puts things in perspective.”
“You never know what’s going to happen on the road,” he said. “You never know what things might be thrown at you, what things might come at you.”
Andrews missed nearly two months last season with leg and ankle injuries, finishing with 45 catches for 544 yards and six touchdowns. He returned for the Ravens’ AFC championship game against the Chiefs but played just 18 offensive snaps and had two catches for 15 yards in the 17-10 loss.
Andrews’ return to action comes four days after Pro Bowl center Tyler Linderbaum, who missed most of camp with a neck injury, was cleared for practice. Linderbaum wore a red noncontact jersey in the period of Monday’s session open to reporters and remained in a noncontact jersey Friday.
Running back Rasheen Ali (concussion) and safety Kyle Hamilton also returned to practice. Offensive lineman Patrick Mekari, rookie outside linebacker Adisa Isaac and safety Eddie Jackson were missing at practice Friday. Harbaugh said Jackson had travel issues, while Mekari and Isaac’s absences were “standard operating stuff.”
