The football Gods have given the Tampa Bay Buccaneers their toughest battles thus far in the 2025 NFL campaign. This incredibly resilient group has remarkably overcome one key player after another going down, specifically on offense, thanks to star quarterback Baker Mayfield.
It all starts and ends with Mayfield for the Buccaneers, who continues to operate at an MVP level despite everyone around him getting hurt. However, it’s fair to wonder how many more hits he and the team can take without reinforcements.
Given the circumstances in Tampa Bay, Pro Football & Sports Network (PFSN) predicted the Bucs to acquire Baltimore Ravens veteran tight end Mark Andrews. With the two clubs trending in polar opposite directions ahead of this year’s trade deadline and other notable factors at play, a swap is logical. If the four-time reigning NFC reigning NFC South champions can pull it off, landing him would be an underratedly massive addition for Mayfield.
As PFSN highlights, the Bucs have gotten little from incumbent starter Cade Otton; his underwhelming production alone justifies bringing in external help. Yet, somehow, that’s only the tip of the iceberg.
Between Andrews’ expiring contract and the Ravens already beginning to sell off veterans amid a stunningly disappointing season, there’s incentive to reroute him. Moreover, he and Mayfield are former college teammates who have maintained and developed very close friendship that goes far beyond the gridiron.
Andrews was famously a groomsman in Mayfield’s wedding after the two dominated at Oklahoma together. Knowing this, they’d be able to hit the ground running in Tampa Bay, which is music to general manager Jason Licht and the Bucs’ ears.
As long as Mayfield plays and leads like he’s done, the Bucs are legitimate Super Bowl contenders. Sitting atop the NFC as we approach the halfway point of the season, Licht must proceed with the bigger picture in mind. Taking a low-risk, medium-reward flier on Andrews profiles as the exact type of forward-thinking move Tampa Bay shouldmake.
Veteran standout wideout Chris Godwin’s comeback from a dislocated ankle and fractured fibula he suffered in 2024 hit a snag. Longtime Buccaneers franchise wideout Mike Evans is nearing a return to action but has a history of soft-tissue issues that ostensibly isn’t improving with age. Mayfield’s once-overloaded supporting cast is now running on fumes, with rookie sensation, wide receiver Emeka Egbuka’s hamstring injury being the latest brutal blow.
While Andrews keeps getting further removed from his heyday, he can certainly help the Bucs. Even in his current form, the three-time Pro Bowler is a better option than Otton. The former is outdoing the latter in multiple per-route pass-catching efficiency metrics, namely targets, yards and first downs.
