Why Isaiah Likely fits David Blough's Offensive Scheme Perfectly

Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels spent his first two seasons looking to lean on tight end Zach Ertz. With a new season approaching and Ertz on the mend, it may be time for the young quarterback to be paired with a tight end more his age; someone like Isaiah Likely.

A youthful upgrade for Daniels

“I think Isaiah Likely would be a perfect fit with the Washington Commanders,” NFL Network’s Steve Wyche recently stated. “He could just go right down the highway and go to Washington. Because the one thing we saw with Jayden Daniels…was he liked to go to the tight end. Zach Ertz was his number two receiver. You get a versatile and younger route runner like Isaiah Likely, who's actually emerged as a pretty solid blocker. He could be a real helpful asset to that offense.”

This isn’t the first time I’ve seen someone on the national stage connect what Washington needs to Likely as a fit in free agency, because, in a lot of ways, it makes too much sense not to happen. As we know from all sports, however, that doesn’t mean it will.

Likely is young, turning 26 this April, and having been in the league for four seasons as a backup to Baltimore Ravens tight end Mark Andrews, appears ready to step out of the shadows and into his own spotlight.

Dec 15, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Baltimore Ravens tight end Isaiah Likely (80) celebrates after scoring a touchdown during the second quarter against the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

Projecting the cost and role

Current projections by Spotrac estimate that Likely’s new deal will cost the Commanders close to $9 million per year, similar to what Dawson Knox, Juwan Johnson, and Hunter Henry all got on their deals around the same ages.

As Wyche stated, Likely has only gotten better each year as a blocking tight end, while continuing to produce when called upon as a receiver. Those factors make him appear to be what might just be a perfect fit in new offensive coordinator David Blough’s offense expected to lean on a Y-Tight End to help make it run.

Your typical Y-Tight End lines up in-line attached to the offensive tackle and is relied on to be both a capable blocker and a short to intermediate level receiver.

Evolving into a complete tight end

Likely entered the league widely considered a move tight end, more of a receiver than a blocker, but every year as his skills have grown, so too has his usage.

In 2025, he played 132 of his 487 snaps inline. In 2024, while playing a career-high 627 offensive snaps, he was in the lineup for nearly 300 of them. Compared to just over 100 in his rookie season, his usage as an inline (Y) tight end has grown significantly.

With many influences in Blough’s toolbox, one of the most prominent is Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson. Blough was a quarterback with the Detroit Lions as Johnson climbed the coaching ladder with the organization. After making Sam LaPorta a star in his offense, the coach has gone on to incorporate 2025 rookie tight end Colston Loveland into his new offense.

While Likely has proven to be a better blocker than anticipated when he entered the league, he is still a different type of tight end than either LaPorta or Loveland. Because of that, it wouldn’t be a one-for-one comparison or expectation, which can play into Blough’s favor if he finds ways to accentuate Likely’s increased athletic ability while minimizing his comparative limitations as a blocker.

As a total package, it’s enough to put Likely at or near the top of the free agent board in Washington, and makes him a name worth watching as the new league year grows closer and closer.

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