Ravens Rising Star Reacts to Cardinals TE's Historic Deal

The Baltimore Ravens are in a unique situation in regard to their tight end room, as Mark Andrews, Isaiah Likely and Charlie Kolar are all entering the final year of their contracts. Whether it be this offseason or next, the Ravens will have to decide which of those players will stick around for 2026 and beyond.

In the meantime, though, the tight end market has just seen a major reset.

On Thursday, the Arizona Cardinals reportedly signed Trey McBride to a four-year, $76 million extension, making him the highest-paid tight end in NFL history. McBride, a 2022 second-round pick from Colorado State, had 111 receptions for 1,146 yards and two touchdowns, and now cashes in with one year remaining on his rookie deal.

Tight ends around the league certainly took notice of McBride's extension. At the very least, Likely did, as he congratulated McBride on the extension with a brief but very clear, message.

"Yessir Brodie," Likely wrote with a money bag emoji.

Yessir Brodie 💰‼️🤞🏽@mcbtrey https://t.co/xzyncLiErU
— Isaiah Likely (@DaGorilla4) April 3, 2025

A 2022 fourth-round pick from Coastal Carolina, Likely has proven to be an excellent find for the Ravens. Through his first three seasons, he has 108 receptions for 1,261 yards and 14 touchdowns, and that's with him sharing the spotlight with Andrews. At 6-4 and 247 pounds, he's a premier threat in the red zone.

Of the Ravens' three tight ends, Likely seems to be the most, well, likely, to stick around for the long haul.

Andrews will be 30 at the start of the season and is definitely the most costly of the three - not even getting into his brutal end to the season. Kolar could very well stick around as well, but he's much more of a blocking tight end compared to his peers. Likely has the best mix of receiving and blocking, and he's also the youngest, turning 25 later this month.

As for what Likely's extension could look like, that's a bit harder to pin down. The Ravens would probably like to see him as the clear No. 1 option, but even without that, he could earn a big pay day if he performs well enough this season. Andrews ranks sixth among tight ends with an average salary of $14 million per year, so perhaps that could be the ballpark for Likely's new deal.

In any case, the Ravens' tight end room will be something to keep an eye on throughout the year.

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