Ravens tight end Mark Andrews will have to wait at least another week — and maybe longer — for his return to action.
Andrews will miss Saturday’s divisional-round playoff game against the Houston Texans after he was not activated off injured reserve Friday. The three-time Pro Bowl selection is recovering from ankle surgery two months ago after a hip-drop tackle in a Week 11 win over the Cincinnati Bengals.
Andrews returned to practice Jan. 12 and was listed as a full participant Wednesday and Thursday, but coach John Harbaugh said after practice Thursday that his availability was “up in the air.” Andrews was listed as questionable for Saturday’s game.
“It’s been good to see [his level of participation], I know that,” Harbaugh said. “I don’t know if surprise is the right word. I probably didn’t have any expectations, just waiting to see when he was out there. This is his first week out there in that kind of way. It was encouraging.”
Andrews finished third on the team in receiving yards (544), second in receptions (45) and first in touchdown catches (six) despite playing just 10 games in the regular season. The recent emergence of tight end Isaiah Likely (411 yards, five touchdowns) has helped elevate the Ravens’ passing offense and eased the pressure on Andrews to rush his return.
“Just knowing how good this team is, how good our players are, how good our tight ends are, if I feel like I’m going to be helpful to the team, I’m going to go,” Andrews said Wednesday. “If I feel like I’m close but not there, let these guys go and hopefully get [there] next weekend.”
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If the top-seeded Ravens beat the fourth-seeded Texans, they will host the AFC championship game Jan. 28, facing the second-seeded Buffalo Bills or third-seeded Kansas City Chiefs.
The Ravens’ offense will have some new help against Houston, though. Wide receiver and returner Devin Duvernay, who landed on IR in mid-December with a back injury, was activated ahead of Saturday’s game.
Safety Ar’Darius Washington, who hasn’t played since suffering a pectoral injury in Week 2, was also activated to the 53-man roster. On Friday, the team signed running back Dalvin Cook off the practice squad as well.
NOTES: Wide receiver Dan Chisena and linebacker Josh Ross have been elevated from the practice squad for Saturday’s game. The team also signed Melvin Gordon III back to the practice squad after waiving him earlier in the week.