"Hopefully Mark Andrews' hands aren’t soaked and wet”: NFL fans react to Isaiah Likely being ruled out for SNF vs Bills

The Baltimore Ravens are expected to be without tight end Isaiah Likely for the season opener against the Buffalo Bills on Sunday. NFL insider Ian Rapoport broke the news, citing an unnamed source, on Wednesday.

According to the NFL insider, Likely underwent surgery on a broken bone in his foot in July and is recovering well, but is not expected to feature against the Bills for Sunday Night Football.

"#Ravens TE Isaiah Likely, who is recovering nicely from a broken bone in his foot, is not expected to play in the team’s opener against the #Bills, sources say. Likely underwent surgery in late July and is healing as expected. He should be ready early in the season."

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With Likely unavailable for the contest, the Ravens are expected to turn to three-time Pro Bowl selection Mark Andrews as their starter.

NFL fans reacted to the news of Likely's injury on X, with a few taking a dig at Andrews.

"Poor Ravens have to deal with one of the worst tight ends ever “Mark Andrews” 😭😭"

"Hopefully Mark Andrews' hands aren’t “soaked and wet” or trying to make unnecessary cuts thinking he’s Zay Flowers."

"Why you playin with our emotions so early in the day man? The beginning got me excited til I kept reading. But that’s ok, no rush. We’ll see him soon."

Other fans hoped for a speedy recovery for the TE, praising the team for not taking any chances on his fitness.

"Wishing Isaiah Likely a speedy recovery back to action soon."

"It's better to let him heal and lean on the other TEs"

"Good. Rest up need him back to 100%"

Isaiah Likely fractured his foot during practice in July and it was reported at the time that the young TE could be back for the Ravens' Week 1 opener against the Bills.

Isaiah Likely's absence for Ravens' SNF clash could be a big boost for Bills

Likely missed Monday's practice owing to his injury, and his status will become clearer after the Ravens release their injury report. With the tight end recovering well, the Ravens are expected to retain his spot on the roster to facilitate an immediate return to action when he is fit.

His absence will be a significant boost for the Bills' defense, as they already have their hands full trying to contain Derrick Henry, Lamar Jackson, and the Ravens' potent rushing attack.

The Sunday Night Football action between the Ravens and the Bills will kick off at 8:20 p.m. ET.

About the author

Chaitanya Prakash is an editor who covers US Sports at Sportskeeda. His first brush with sportswriting was in 2012 when the greatest football manager of all time, Sir Alex Ferguson, bid farewell to the beautiful game.

Although having started out professionally as a cricket writer in 2022, Chaitanya's curiosity and indiscriminate interest in all sports in general eventually introduced him to America's favorite pastime.

While Chaitanya's favorite player from the current crop is the dynamic Venezuelan Ronald Acuna Jr., his all-time favorite, however, is Pedro Martinez, for his self-belief and consistency. He also rates Jose Bautista's iconic bat flip in 2015 as his favorite moment in baseball history.

Chaitanya specializes in reporting on technical aspects of the game or analyzing patterns behind specific plays. He also likes pondering over players' self-assessments following the conclusion of a game as it helps him get an idea of how they think about the sport in general.

When not cheering for his favorites across sports, Chaitanya likes being transported to the past through a good war documentary or a historical documentary in general.

Know More

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Edited by Chaitanya Prakash