Isaiah Likely Has a Chance to Finally Break Out — and the Giants Are Counting on It

With New York Giants receiver Malik Nabers' status to return to full action this upcoming season in limbo and the wide receiver room made thinner by the departure of Wan’Dale Robinson, it became a dire necessity for the Giants to find an experienced player who could step up and be the new weapon to produce at a high level.

It wasn't hard for new head coach John Harbaugh to come up with the guy to bring over to East Rutherford and further bolster the Giants' offensive huddle: former Baltimore Ravens tight end Isaiah Likely.

Likely, who shared four years in Baltimore with Harbaugh, was more than ready to switch uniforms while maintaining his bond with the only coach he has played for in the NFL.

If anything, the move to New York granted him the opportunity to ascend from the shadows of playing behind a veteran in Mark Andrews, who seemed to own a stranglehold on a lot of the Ravens' reps at their position.

As the offseason continues and untimely injuries have already weakened their receiving corps, the Giants may suddenly need Likely to be far more than the second-fiddle option that he was limited to in his first four seasons.

If things don't improve health-wise before the 2026 campaign arrives, he could find himself becoming the new No. 1 weapon for Dart and the Giants' offensive huddle that is trying to get loaded up with explosive threats that can test defenses every Sunday.

Isaiah Likely, TE

Height: 6-foot-4
Weight: 245 lbs.
Exp.: 5 years
School: Coastal Carolina
How Acquired: FA-'26

2025 in Review

Despite playing in the lowest number of games in his career (14) and not being the most-targeted option in the Baltimore Ravens offense last season, Isaiah Likely still managed to author one of the more efficient receiving resumes on the team.

In his appearances, Likely caught 27 passes on 37 targets (72.9%) for 307 yards and an average haul of 11.4 yards. He only recorded one touchdown, though, marking the lowest total for a single season since he was drafted as a fourth-rounder in 2022.

The Ravens didn’t boast the most high-volume passing attack in the league (they ranked 21st or lower in attempts, yards and TDs), but Likely’s reception percentage was still the best in their huddle and his yards the fourth most across 269 total snaps.

Even with his greater size, the majority of Likely’s reps came from the slot (197) compared to just 30 out on the perimeter and 39 from the inline tight end spot.

No matter where he lined up, Likely was a reliable threat who could snag down the tougher balls, including two-thirds of his contested catches with only one drop.

Likely's best game of the season came in Week 13 against the Cincinnati Bengals, when he boosted the Ravens' aerial production with five catches on six targets for 95 yards, albeit in a crushing 32-14 loss for Baltimore.

Contract/Cap Info

The Giants and Isaiah Likely agreed to a three-year deal in free agency worth up to $40 million, which includes $20.5 million in fully guaranteed salary and up to $27 million in total guarantees.

For the first year of his contract, Likely will earn a guaranteed base salary of $1,350,000, a prorated signing bonus of $4,166,666, $450,000 in per-game roster bonuses, and a $200,000 workout bonus. His cap hit comes out to $6,087,254 and sits among the top 15 cap charges on the Giants' active roster.

It would take something drastic for Likely to not be suited up as the starting tight end in Week 1, but if he wasn't a member of the 53-man roster, the Giants would have to eat $12,166,666 in dead money penalties while getting back $6,079,412 in cap savings for 2026.

2026 Preview

With John Harbaugh having the chance to coach him in Baltimore for four seasons, the Giants quickly gained an understanding of what Isaiah Likely could do to elevate their offense into a more serious threat through the air.

Likely might have been playing at the tight end position due to his size, but he has carried many of the same intangibles that define the most successful receivers in the modern NFL—strong hands, solid route running and the athleticism to make tough catches in traffic—that the Giants knew they had to bring over to their team.

His numbers since his rookie season haven’t been the flashiest for one of the higher-paid players at his position, but the obstacle of playing behind a Pro Bowl veteran in Mark Andrews was clearly weighing down on his ability to reach his highest potential, which he’ll now have the shot to rewrite in New York.

The Giants are believed to be planning to plug Likely into different roles across the offense and capitalize on his ability to get deep and stretch the field. Likely held a 7.9-yard average distance of target and 1.29 yards per route run, with both numbers putting him amongst the top tight ends in the league.

Tight end Isaiah Likely (80) runs with the ball against Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Patrick Queen | Mitch Stringer-Imagn Images

Between a fresh home and the current state of the Giants receiver room, the opportunity is right in front of Likely to get targets early and often from quarterback Jaxson Dart, who has already made himself known as an aggressive playmaker who wants to attack defenses in different ways.

Even after some of their main pieces, like Malik Nabers and Darius Slayton, return from injury, Harbaugh will want to feature his longtime player a lot and force opponents to pick which threat to pay the most attention to.

If Likely can win most of his targets, it could mean a more fruitful year for a guy once lost in the shadows of the Ravens offense. How much of a breakout season is yet to be seen, but the odds are in his favor after joining a Giants core that craves explosiveness and ranked 13th in total offense production last year.

Sometimes the potential just doesn’t match the environment, and that reality has defined Likely’s career so far. He is bracing for a change in East Rutherford, and the Giants are eager to have a new target who won’t let them down in big spots and scoring opportunities.

Sign up for our free newsletter and follow us on Facebook and X for the latest news, and send your mailbag questions to us.

Add us as a preferred source on Google