Things could not have gone better for the New York Giants in Week 1 of the NFL season. Under new head coach John Harbaugh, the Giants began the season with a win over the division rival Dallas Cowboys.
The fun and entertaining duo of Jaxson Dart and Cam Skattebo returned to their 2025 ways with smashmouth football. Malik Nabers ultimately did decide to play and looked close to pre-injury form.
Additionally, some of the team’s offseason additions also made their mark. Perhaps no one more so than tight end Isaiah Likely, who signed a three-year, $40 million contract with the Giants this offseason after previously playing for the Baltimore Ravens.
New York Giants Head Coach Sends Strong Message to Isaiah Likely
Likely lived up to his contract during his New York Giants debut as he caught all eight of his targets for 78 yards and two touchdowns.
Head coach John Harbaugh, who coached Likely with the Baltimore Ravens, was not surprised to see the tight end’s success. Harbaugh was asked by reporters if he was expecting Likely to make such a big impact. He replied, “Yeah, I kind of was.” Harbaugh added, “I mean, we paid him a lot. That’s what we paid him for and he did it.”
Likely did fumble the ball once, and while the Giants recovered, Harbaugh took note, saying, “And even after he put the ball on the ground, which I was not happy about, he knows he’s going to get that video about three o’clock in the morning this morning with a comment. But he said, he goes, ‘You can trust me.’ He said, ‘You can trust me.’ And Skatt said the same thing. He said, ‘You can trust me.’ And I do trust him.”
Isaiah Likely’s Potential Breakout Season
Likely’s performance may not have come as a surprise to those who were there at New York Giants training camp.
Among those was ESPN’s Dan Graziano, who predicted that Likely would have a breakout season. Graziano wrote: “Giants coaches light up when talking about Likely, the free agent signee who came over from Baltimore with coach John Harbaugh. They believe he’ll be a real asset for Jaxson Dart as a receiver and think he can win in both man and zone coverage. And they love the way he has embraced and evolved his relationship with Dart since he has been in New York. Likely is a regular visitor to the quarterbacks room, and the connection he has formed with Dart on and off the field could pay major dividends. Likely is a strong candidate to be the team’s second-leading receiver this season.”
After Sunday’s two-touchdown performance, Graziano’s prediction seems to be right on. While some questioned whether Likely was worth the $40 million price tag after previously being a backup with the Baltimore Ravens, his head coach believed in him and early returns appear to prove Harbaugh right. Likely has never had a season with over 500 receiving yards, but his failing to reach that mark would be surprising after his performance against Dallas.
Giants’ Isaiah Likely Gets Strong Message After Cowboys Win