On Tuesday afternoon as Mark Andrews cut up the practice field with nothing but light rain in his path, a sound he’s surely been longing to hear rose from the hundred-or-so viewers on the sideline of the Ravens’ mandatory minicamp.

A smattering of applause.

The purple-donning spectators appreciated the burst from Andrews, who never fails to deliver an honest effort. He ran all the way to the end zone on the rep, some 50 or 60 yards down the sideline well after any pursuers were left.

On the heels of his playoff disappointment in Buffalo, the 29-year-old tight end could use some positive reinforcement — but even a cooing audience can’t gas Andrews up any better than his own quarterback.

Going over his passing weapons for the upcoming fall, Lamar Jackson lingered on Andrews — the guy who has caught more of Jackson’s passes than anyone else. There are still traces of bitterness online from Andrews’ performance in the playoff loss in Buffalo, when he fumbled a fourth-quarter reception then dropped the game-tying two-point conversion pass on the goal line.

“I got to get on ‘MAndrews’ really quick,’” Jackson said. “That guy’s different. Because I’ve been seeing my guy get talked about [online], and I really don’t like that. He’s done so much for us. I’m off topic right here, but he’s done so much for us. And how people did him, I just don’t like that.”

Added Jackson: “Mark is still Mark. You know, ‘MAndrews.’”

It was a powerful endorsement of a teammate who arrived in Baltimore in the same draft class as Jackson. And as much as Andrews needs to feel the love of a supportive M&T Bank Stadium after an offseason of uncertainty and speculation, nothing helps erase doubt like the backing of the guy who is going to throw him the ball.

Andrews’ stumbles in Orchard Park only heightened rumblings that his best days as a Raven are behind him. Andrews doesn’t look as fast and fluid as he once was, nor quite as overpowering. Isaiah Likely has shown flashes of being a successor at a cheaper price tag than Andrews, who carries a $16.9 million salary cap hit this season. And DeAndre Hopkins threatens to cut into his share of catches. Somewhat ambiguous front office statements about Andrews’ future this offseason fueled the rumors (“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,“ general manager Eric DeCosta said in February).

No one has caught more touchdown passes in franchise history, but the Ravens already cut ties with their all-time leading scorer this offseason in kicker Justin Tucker. The NFL can be an unsentimental machine.

But Jackson’s words carry weight, and the two-time MVP knows it. If he says Andrews still matters, he still matters.

There is still a magical, unquantifiable chemistry between those two that combined for 11 touchdowns last season, and should help remind Ravens fans why Andrews still has value. Even with so many pass catchers to feed this fall, Andrews will get his share of targets — and knowing those two, probably more end zone tosses with the game on the line.

But Jackson’s words aren’t only a marker of how Andrews impacts this franchise. It’s also symbolic of Jackson’s own growing awareness of his leadership role.

Since that painful postseason exit — the latest in his collection — Jackson has not hidden from his own accountability in the playoff disappointment. He’s actually embraced it, owned it and watched the games to learn from them. While it’s a process that is taking longer than any Ravens fan would like, you can see signs of progress.

It’s his voice that has changed the most.

Quarterbacks coach Tee Martin said he noticed how quiet Jackson was in 2021 when he arrived. Now, he sees him having way more discussions with teammates than he ever had in those early years.

“You kind of saw it a little bit during game day when his competitive spirit starts to show,” Martin said. “But being with him every day and being around him more closely, his communication — nonverbal and verbal — you really hear him in the back having side conversations that [wasn’t] the case a couple years ago. And you see more and more of that.”

It’s not just that Jackson is talking. It’s what he says. While his offhand ad-libs about wanting DeCosta to sign fellow Louisville alum Jaire Alexander or his reflections on his TV debut play well for laughs, his serious reflections offer insight into the kind of teammate he is. Talking about Andrews’ drive coming back from the disappointment in Buffalo, Jackson pointed back to his own shortcomings, which included an interception and a fumble against the Bills. He lumped Andrews’ struggles in with his own.

“We wish we would have won the game,” Jackson said. “I wish I didn’t throw that interception. I wish I didn’t fumble. I wish the mishap had not happened, but it happened. It’s just a lesson learned, so next time we’ll do something better.”

Jackson has disappointed in playoffs before, made promises of being better before and let down in the postseason again. But the cycle only stops with another opportunity, and Jackson’s increasing vocal leadership and accountability adds fuel to the belief that even as he and Andrews will try to bring their same old magic to the field, they’re still evolving — and that might help them finally get over the Super Bowl hump.

It’s still June. Fans are many months away from feeling the proof that this growth might actually change the playoff results.

But at this time of year, you’ve got to collect and savor all the positive reinforcement you can get.