Giants’ Isaiah Likely Tipped for Breakout Season After Team Switch

Isaiah Likely was one of the most talented backup tight ends in the league with the Ravens and now he gets to jump into the spotlight with the Giants.

NY Giants tight end Isaiah Likely was among the free agent signings league-wide tipped to be a potential breakout candidate with his new team. | Denny Medley-Imagn Images

From the outset of NFL free agency, the New York Giants had their eyes on one available player to be their first signing under new head coach John Harbaugh and to elevate the bevy of weapons in their offensive arsenal.

Former Baltimore Ravens tight end Isaiah Likely, who played under Harbaugh in the final four seasons of his tenure with the organization and later signed a three-year deal worth $40 million with the Giants on the first day of the "legal" tampering window, was exactly that guy.

Likely, who had 27 catches on 37 targets for 307 yards (11.4 average) and one touchdown last season, was also looking for a change of scenery following his release from the Ravens, and where he could become a top target for another franchise that was seeking an elite yet underutilized pass catcher.

Landing in East Rutherford with his old coach was easily the most obvious choice for Likely in free agency, whose arrival in New York has fans and analysts believing he could reach new heights in his pro career.

Bleacher Report's own Moe Moton, who published a shortlist of seven NFL players primed for breakout 2026 seasons with their new teams, agrees with Likely taking the next big step as he breaks away from a big shadow in Baltimore and dons the blue next fall.

"As a backup with the Baltimore Ravens, Isaiah Likely had to split snaps with Mark Andrews, one of the league's premier pass-catching tight ends," Moton wrote. "Yet he carved out a role and showcased his receiving skills, hauling in 135 passes for 1,568 yards and 15 touchdowns in 63 outings.

Dec 21, 2024; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Ravens tight end Isaiah Likely (80) celebrates a first quarter touchdown catch against the Pittsburgh Steelers with wide receiver Tylan Wallace (16) at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mitch Stringer-Imagn Images | Mitch Stringer-Imagn Images

After his dismissal in Baltimore, New York Giants head coach John Harbaugh will reunite with Likely, who signed a three-year, $40 million deal with Big Blue. Based on that contract, don't expect him to take a backseat to Theo Johnson. He's the fourth-highest-paid tight end in terms of average annual salary.

Of course, quarterback Jaxson Dart must develop from the pocket to elevate his pass-catchers, though Likely will be a big 6'4", 241-pound target who's hard to miss in the seams and over the middle."

Likely was certainly caught up in the Ravens' preference to target Mark Andrews in 2025, who finished in the top 20 among tight ends in that category (65) and was tied for Baltimore's leading threat inside the red zone with five touchdowns.

Ironically, his backup teammate in Likely had just as much versatility and, in some cases, better deep-threat stats than Andrews, despite playing in three fewer games. He beat out the veteran in average yards per catch (11.4 yards), yards after the catch per reception (4.5 yards), and contested catch percentage (66.7%).

The Ravens clearly undervalued their former tight end's capabilities to be a serious vertical threat in the right offense, but the Giants didn't make that same mistake as they pursued Likely as soon as the opening bell of free agency arrived.

They knew Likely was the perfect piece to pair with Dart, providing him with more reliable weapons who could stretch into the intermediate levels of the field and come down with the ball for big plays in space.

The rest of their receiving corps, outside of Wan'Dale Robinson, who departed for Tennessee in free agency, was lacking in that regard, with just four touchdowns, 20 dropped passes, and 10 bobbled passes that resulted in interceptions for the opposing defense.

Malik Nabers will likely remain the Giants' No. 1 option for Dart and company, given his dynamic skillset, which ran wild for a rookie record of 109 catches for 1,204 yards and seven touchdowns in 2024, but his return for Week 1 of the upcoming season is still unclear.

Even if he does return relatively early, the Giants' impending reliance on Likely to get open and be their new key difference maker across the field will likely be the catalyst that jolts his professional resume to the next level.

It wouldn't be a total surprise if Giants fans saw Likely break loose in the same fashion that Robinson did and reach for his first 1,000-yard receiving season. That's a hard feat that only one tight end--Arizona's Tre McBride--managed to achieve last season as he landed among the 10 biggest aerial producers in the league.

With new offensive coordinator Matt Nagy coming in and looking to further develop Dart's penchant for making big plays happen with his powerful arm that authored the second-most big-time throws among rookie gunslingers, anything is possible, as Likely will be featured more than he has ever been before.

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