The Baltimore Ravens showed they weren’t interested in a future with tight end Isaiah Likely midway through the 2025 season, when they signed veteran tight end Mark Andrews to a 3-year, $39 million contract.
Likely is cashing in elsewhere now, joining former Ravens head coach John Harbaugh on the New York Giants by agreeing to a reported 3-year, $40 million contract that could be worth up to $47.5 million.
“BREAKING: The #Giants are signing former #Ravens TE Isaiah Likely to a 3-year, $40M contract with upside to $47.5M, per multiple sources,” NFL insider Jordan Schultz wrote on his official X account on Monday. “The deal makes Likely the 3rd-highest paid TE in the NFL, and pairs him with Jaxson Dart and Malik Nabers as a dangerous offense in NYC.”
Harbaugh was hired by the Giants shortly after the Ravens fired the Super Bowl-winning head coach after 18 seasons.
The Ravens entered 2025 as Super Bowl contenders and went 8-9, missing the playoffs with a loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers in the regular-season finale.
Likely’s payday is even more surprising when you look at his numbers — just 27 receptions for 307 yards and 1 touchdown in 2025.
Signing Likely Could Be Huge Mistake
According to one NFL insider, the Giants signing Likely could end up being a huge mistake.
“It’s likely Isaiah Likely will be moving on (in free agency),” NBC’s Matthew Berry wrote on March 2. “The league seems mixed on him after an up-and-down year. Some people love him, but Baltimore seems content to let him leave and as one league source said to me, ‘someone is gonna be stupid and pay Isaiah Likely a ton of money.’ For what it’s worth, I’m a Likely fan and believer, but I definitely got mixed reviews on him from the league.”
This was supposed to be the season the 6-foot-4, 245-pound Likely not only tapped into his seemingly unlimited potential but also struck it rich. It was supposed to be the year the Ravens finally realized it was time to move on from Andrews make Likely the main focus at the position.
One broken foot and one miserable, mistake-filled season for Likely and the Ravens later, it’s safe to say things have changed.
Andrews Outplayed Likely Following Foot Injury
Andrews, somehow, played his way into a 3-year, $39.2 million contract extension he signed on December 3. Add in the fact the Ravens fired longtime head coach John Harbaugh and replaced him with Los Angeles Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter, Likely finds himself on the outside looking in.
Bleacher Report’s Alex Kay put Likely at the top of his list of “Buyer Beware” NFL free agents in 2026 thanks to how he played after he returned from a fractured foot suffered just a few days into training camp on July 29 which cost him the first 3 games of the regular season.
“Isaiah Likely has been a popular breakout candidate for several years, but the Baltimore Ravens tight end has mostly spent his NFL career working behind Mark Andrews in the team’s pecking order,” Kay wrote on January 14. “Likely will finally get a chance to emerge from the three-time Pro Bowler’s shadow in 2026. While he’s a good bet to catch on as a primary pass-catching option for one of the many teams lacking a playmaker at the position, expectations should be tempered after he failed to realize the sky-high potential he displayed earlier in his career.”
Ravens Lose Key Offensive Weapon to $40 Million Free Agent Contract in NFC