Mark Andrews previews 2026 season, promotes DME awareness

What's up, everybody? Welcome back. I'm Chris Boombaca. This is another episode of the Sports Seriously NFL podcast. Proud part of the USA Today podcast network. On today's show, we are thrilled to be joined by Mark Andrews, Baltimore Ravens tight end, who's here to talk about diabetes research and his work with the company Genentech and all the great work you do in the diabetes research area. So what can you tell us about what you're doing with them? Yeah, it's awesome. So I'm partnering with Genentech to raise awareness for DME. And, you know, I think, you know, just living with diabetes, something that's incredibly important is just being as getting your eyes checked, getting your visual checked every year. Yeah, I've always admired how much you've really been on the front lines of advocating for this. And as somebody who has diabetes himself, like you do, is that something that you can bond with other guys in the league that have similar experiences? For sure. Yeah, for sure. There's a few, you know, different guys with living with diabetes that are in the league. And, you know, I think especially anytime you make it to, you know, to the top of your profession, or especially in the NFL, it takes a lot of dedication, being a diabetic and making this level and it takes a little extra work. So, you know, I have so much respect for all the T1D athletes out there. It's such a great community. And I really think, you know, for me able to, again, to partner with Genentech and to be able to just bring awareness for DME is really cool. What would your message be to young athletes, not in the pros, obviously, but just love the games that they play, who also have diabetes and just want to be their best version of themselves? What's your message to them? I want to let you kids know and everybody out there living with type 1 diabetes or diabetes that you're not alone. You know, this disease is something that's non-stop. But just continue to go, continue to work each and every day. Don't let this disease stop you from doing what you want to do. And just keep on pushing. Go be great and do anything you want in life. No TEU for you, Mark, this year? No Titan U down in Nashville? No, no. I have so much respect for those guys. And, you know, for me, just being able to get back to Arizona and spend time with my family during this little break that we have is so important to me. So that's really what I'm doing right now. Definitely been an off-season of change for the Baltimore Ravens. What have been your initial impressions of your new head coach, Jesse Minter? I know you probably spent time around him when he was assisting with the Ravens a few years back. But now that he's in the big chair, what is it like seeing him in that role? Coach Minter's been great, man. He's, you know, he stepped right in and really taken the helm. And, you know, just, you know, listening to him in meetings and going out there in practices, it's, you know, he's meant for this. He's got that calm, cool, swagger, confidence, and, you know, that's rubbing off on the team. And I just, I just really love, you know, the type of energies that he's bringing in. He's done a great job. I'm excited about that defense that they're running. It's going to be really good. And it's just been infectious, you know, to listen to him and talk to him. Really good dude. After having John Harbaugh at the front of the room for you your entire pro career, what is it like just to have a different guy up there? Is it weird for you at all, just without John in the building every day? Yeah, you know, for the last eight years, that's all I've really known. And, you know, I guess the last 18 years for the Ravens, you know, it's a long time. So there's so much respect in that regard for, you know, myself, but all the Ravens, you know, fans out there and the love that we have for Coach Harbaugh. But I guess new chapter now and Coach Minter and this new staff and couldn't be more fired up. These coaches are fired up as well. So just being out there in OTAs and starting training camp, we're ready to go. It's been a little bit of a learning curve and that's the beauty of it. It's gonna be fun. What's maybe been the most difficult aspect of that learning curve for you? What is something that maybe you didn't think would be a challenge but kind of has been? I don't know if anything's been super challenging. You know, by any time, there's so much stability with the Ravens that, you know, haven't had to learn some new offense, you know, all the time. So I guess just learning new terminology, learning the offense, it's something new. It's something that I think is just it's awesome to be able to add different things to your game and I'm super excited about, you know, Coach Declan and what he brings to the table. Obviously, incredibly smart person and dynamic and loves to coach and teach and really all the guys on offense. Incredibly good communicators. I think that's something that stands out and just be able to, you know, pick their brains and have them be open and communicate with us so we can learn everything that we can as professional athletes to be the best that we can. That's what it's all about. For sure. Obviously, you're referencing first year offensive coordinator Declan Doyle coming over from the Chicago Bears where he was under Ben Johnson last year but replacing a guy that I really enjoyed covering there in Baltimore for a few years and Todd Munkin who became the head coach with the Cleveland Browns. A, what is your, you know, just excitement level for him that he finally has this opportunity and then B, will it be weird to face him on the other sideline twice a year? Yeah, you know, I'm happy for Coach Munkin and just talking with him, you know, the last three years, you just know how important and how badly, you know, he wanted to be able to have this opportunity and, you know, not a better person to get that opportunity. So, a lot of love for him. He's taught me a lot and it was a joy to be around him. So, I'm excited about that. I'm obviously going to be fun at going against him. You know, that'd be cool but yeah, you know, again, excited about for him and this opportunity but I'm excited about Coach Declan as well. Yeah, so much changes throughout the AFC North. Obviously, you guys in that mix this year. Is that something that you pay attention to during these new cycles throughout the offseason or are you kind of more locked into your role and just what's going on in the Ravens building? Yeah, obviously, you kind of tune in a little bit and you see what's going on. You know, just kind of, you know, putting your finger on the pulse so you know what's to come. We play them twice a year and all the other teams in the AFC North twice a year. So, like you said, a lot of change. There's different things going on but at the end of the day, you got to focus on yourself and try to be best that you can be as a team, as a person, as a player and good things will happen. Yeah and those changes also hitting close in the tight end room that you were in. No more Isaiah Likely, no more Charlie Kohler. Guys that have really become key depth pieces over the years. What will you miss about both of those guys the most and then what has it been like just learning, you know, about new guys in the room with you? I think first and foremost, just the people that they are. You know, Charlie and Isaiah and Pat Ricard, you know, just great people, friends, you know, people that I will call friends for the rest of my life and obviously great players. Guys that are going to bring it each and every game, every play and, you know, it's an honor to work with them but I'm also excited about the room that we have right now. I think Coach Crossy has done an incredible job. He's dynamic, he's smart, he does all things well. I'm learning a lot from him and the rest, you know, and so we got a great group of guys and, you know, I'm excited about it. One of the things that always stood out to me being around the Ravens is how much you and Lamar have each other's back. That real bond that you guys have is just so evident. How quickly did that develop after you guys were drafted and, you know, how has it evolved over the years? Well, I think just watching him get better and better each and every year. Year nine going on, you know, for us now and he finds ways to be dynamic and learn from, I guess, mistakes or, you know, what he did last year and make himself better the next year and so being able to grow with him in that aspect is awesome. He's continued to learn to evolve and grow and that's what this league is about. It's ever-changing and he's ever-changing. It's being about guys who are ever-changing but also ever-dominant. A guy like Derek Henry, you've been teammates with him a couple years now. What's maybe the most impressive thing you've seen him do physically, whether it's in practice, in the weight room, or maybe it's a highlight in the game that we all saw? Yeah, I think something that he's talked about a little bit last year about how he's a home run hitter and for a guy that size to be able to run through the A-gap or hit the edge and then, you know, take off the top of, you know, the third level like safeties and BBs and run past them. It's truly incredible. You know, so just his athletic freak ability, his understanding of the game and really how hard he works. Yeah, I got a good amount of time with him in the weight room this offseason and I couldn't be stronger and that's, you know, just shows how hard he works.