March 17 will mark the annual cultural and religious celebration of Saint Patrick. It’s an important date for the Ravens too.

That’s when Mark Andrews is due a $4 million roster bonus, and with the tight end slated to count $16.9 million against the salary cap next season, light-on-cap-space Baltimore could have a decision to make.

At last week’s NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis, Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta was asked about the future of the three-time Pro Bowl selection and 2021 All-Pro.

“Mark is a great player,” he said. “Mark is going to go down as one of our great players. He’ll be in the Ring of Honor someday. I love having Mark on the team — he’s an amazing player. I know he’s going to have an amazing season. We’ll figure out all of the roster machinations over the coming weeks, but I can tell you, there’s no bigger fan of Mark Andrews than me. He’s been a blessing to have on the team.”Andrews, who will turn 30 in September, is entering the final year of a four-year, $56 million contract. He’s also coming off one of the most discomfiting if not vexing seasons of his seven-year NFL career.

In the Ravens’ divisional round loss to the Buffalo Bills, he dropped a would-be game-tying 2-point conversion attempt with 93 seconds remaining, and his fumble in Bills territory earlier in the fourth quarter led to what ended up being a decisive field goal. During the regular season, his 39.6 receiving yards per game were the fewest since his rookie year, he had back-to-back games without a catch for the first time in his career, failed to top 70 yards in any game for the first time and was shut out of the end zone through the first five weeks (though he did finish with a team-high 11 touchdown receptions, which included a team-record six straight games with a touchdown catch).

Now the Ravens have to figure out what to do moving forward with a player who is first in franchise history in touchdowns (51), second in receiving yards (5,530), third in catches (436) and has long been quarterback Lamar Jackson’s security blanket since the two entered the league in 2018.

The options are myriad.

Baltimore, which currently has just over $12 million in cap space but is trying to work out what would be an expensive contract extension with Pro Bowl left tackle Ronnie Stanley, among other free agent needs, could rework Andrews’ contract with a pay cut. That’s what happened last year with Stanley after he had a disappointing 2023.

With depth behind Andrews in ascendant tight end Isaiah Likely and Charlie Kolar — both of whom are extension-eligible this year — the Ravens could also release him, which would clear up $11 million in cap space. But for one of the best players at his position in the league, a hugely respected presence in the locker room and within the organization, along with a $5.9 million dead cap hit, that would be as short-sighted as it would be unlikely.

Trading Andrews is also an avenue the Ravens could explore. His production and modest $7 million salary (currently 12th among tight ends) would make him a potentially attractive target, and Baltimore would clear valuable cap space along with gaining draft capital in a class that is considered deep. However, would dealing him for, say, a third-round pick be worth the return in exchange for a cohesive player who is a significant part of a Super Bowl-contending team? This is something Baltimore would have to weigh.

To be clear, the Ravens could also simply do nothing, instead choosing to let Andrews play out the season and become a free agent next offseason. If he leaves in free agency, they’d likely get a mid-round compensatory 2027 draft pick in return.

Or, they could sign him to an extension. That would lower his cap hit for 2025 and keep him in Baltimore for probably the next few years, though it would also potentially cast uncertainty about the future of Likely given that the Ravens would probably not be able to afford both players long term.

Still, an extension could be possible and talks between the two sides on potential scenarios were described as “positive,” a source with direct knowledge of the conversations told The Baltimore Sun this week. Whatever happens, though, a decision on Andrews is expected to play out in the coming months and should be clear by the start of next season.

Put another way, it would not be unrealistic to think there’s a good chance Andrews will be in a Ravens uniform for at least 2025.

“Mark is a huge part of our future,” Ravens coach Harbaugh said at the team’s end-of-season news conference in January. “We love him, and we’re there for him.”

Have a news tip? Contact Brian Wacker at bwacker @baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/brianwacker1.