Isaiah Likely: Everything you need to know

Likely is in line to sign a three-year contract with the Giants, NFL reporter Jordan Schultz reports. The initial report has it as a three-year, $40 million contract with a maximum value of $47.5 million. That's a good sign that the Giants envision Likely in a larger role than the one he typically handled in Baltimore, where Mark Andrews and Charlie Kolar also played a lot of snaps at tight end. That said, the Giants still have Theo Johnson on his rookie contract and recently re-signed blocking specialist Chris Manhertz, creating plenty of competition for playing time. Likely doesn't figure to handle huge snap counts even if his receiving usage expands.

Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta said Tuesday that the team would like to re-sign Likely, who is an impending free agent, Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic reports. Likely enjoyed a career year in 2024, totaling a 42-477-6 receiving line, but he began 2025 with a foot injury in training camp that required surgery and then missed three regular-season games, ultimately finishing the year with career-low marks across the board and a 27-307-1 line (36 targets). Issues compounding Likely's struggles included quarterback Lamar Jackson and Baltimore finished the year with an inconsistent offense and the fewest pass attempts in the league, culminating in Jesse Minter replacing John Harbaugh as the team's head coach. If Likely were to re-sign with the Ravens rather than explore the market as an unrestricted free agent, he would return to a situation that involves sharing opportunities with TE Mark Andrews, who remains under contract through 2027.

Likely finished the season with 27 catches for 307 yards and one touchdown on 36 targets. It was a tough season for Likely, who was poised to build on his career year from 2024 when he had 42 catches for 477 yards and six touchdowns. Instead, Likely posted career lows across the board and also missed three games. In fairness, Likely suffered a foot injury in camp that required surgery, which could explain the drop-off in production. There were also contextual issues. Lamar Jackson missed some time, and Baltimore ended up with the sixth-fewest passing yards in the league, along with the fewest pass attempts. Likely is set to become an unrestricted free agent this offseason, and with Mark Andrews having recently inked an extension in Baltimore, it's fair to wonder if Likely will be playing elsewhere in 2026.