The New York Giants didn’t hand Isaiah Likely $40 million in 2026 NFL free agency simply because he’s a favorite of new head coach John Harbaugh. Instead, the Giants already have a new plan for the dynamic, move-style tight end, one that can still work even after Big Blue saw fellow tight end Daniel Bellinger find a new team with a familiar face.
Likely was the early splash move made by the Giants on Monday, March 9. Acting quickly made good on the rumors Harbaugh wanted to reunite with the former Baltimore Ravens pass-catcher as a potential replacement for wide receiver and free agent Wan’Dale Robinson, who also opted to play for an ex-Giants head coach.
Seeing the second-most productive wideout on the roster walk will be easier to take when the Giants are planning something different in their passing game. A plan based on emphasizing tight ends.
Specifics were provided by the New York Post’s Ryan Dunleavy. He explained how the “#Giants are considering using 4 tight ends, per source Using Daniel Bellinger as a hybrid TE/fullback, using Chris Manhertz as extra OL, using Theo Johnson as a ‘Y’ tight end and using Isaiah Likely as a flex tight end on perimeter For a downhill running game in a zone scheme.”
Using Daniel Bellinger as a hybrid TE/fullback, using Chris Manhertz as extra OL, using Theo Johnson as a ‘Y’ tight end and using Isaiah Likely as a flex tight end on perimeter
For a downhill running game in a zone scheme.
This tracks when the Giants have already made a deal to re-sign a key member of the quartet Dunleavy mentioned. It isn’t Bellinger, who chose to reunite with Harbaugh’s predecessor, rather than play fullback.
Bellinger’s exit needn’t alter the four-tight end plan. Not when a couple of Harbaugh favorites perfect for the hybrid role are still on the market, while the 2026 NFL draft also offers tight end and fullback-types for the new vision of the Giants.
Isaiah Likely’s Role is Already Clear
Whatever happens to their plan to use four tight ends, Likely’s role for the Giants is already clear. Dunleavy spelled it out well when he used the description, “flex tight end on the perimeter.”
Essentially, Harbaugh and offensive coordinator Matt Nagy are planning to unleash Likely as a big-bodied wideout. It makes sense given his wide receiver-type skill-set and potential to stretch the field outside the numbers and bully coverage.
Those things have always been the ambitions for Likely, but he’s rarely put everything together. Middling production and too many mistakes blighted the 25-year-old’s tenure with the Ravens, but the Giants can ease the pressure with multiple-tight end sets.
Giants Tight End Plan Makes Sense Without Daniel Bellinger
Bellinger never justified his status as a former second-round pick. He struggled to make a dent as a credible receiving threat or assert himself as a blocker.
The latter skill is something the Giants will continue to rely on Chris Manhertz to provide. Perhaps he’ll be most effective as an in-line tight end supplementing the offensive front or maybe the 33-year-old could spend some time in the backfield.
If the Giants don’t want to move Manhertz around, they’ll need to recruit another tight end during free agency. A veteran with the move skills and vision to be a lead-blocker and occasional receiver out of the backfield, leaving Likely and Theo Johnson to be the primary pass-catchers.
Giants Already Have New Plan for Isaiah Likely