The New York Giants may have struck the motherlode by signing tight end Isaiah Likely away from the Baltimore Ravens on a 3-year, $40 million free-agent contract.
Likely was downright stunning in his 1st game with the Giants, with 8 receptions for 78 yards and 2 touchdowns in a 28-20 upset win over the Dallas Cowboys.
Sports Illustrated’s Eva Geithem called Likely the NFL’s “Top Offseason Addition” after Week 1.
“Heading into the season, one of the top questions for the Giants was whom could they count on in the passing game outside of Malik Nabers,” Geithem wrote on September 15. “In Week 1, the answer was tight end Isaiah Likely, one of several former Ravens that followed coach John Harbaugh to New York. Likely led the Giants in receiving in his debut, hauling in eight passes for 78 yards and two touchdowns as the Giants walloped the Cowboys 28–20.”
On the 2nd touchdown, Likely earned some high praise from NBC Sports color commentator Cris Collinsworth.
“That’s like a young Travis Kelce right there,” Collinsworth said. Shades of when (Giants offensive coordinator) Matt Nagy was drawing up plays on the Chiefs … you see the creativity, you see them using the athleticism.”
Isaiah Likely Followed John Harbaugh to NYG
Giants head coach John Harbaugh coached Likely the 1st 4 seasons of his career on the Ravens and made the decision to pay him like a star — even without the numbers to back it up.
During 2 weeks of training camp with the Giants in Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, Likely emerged as the No. 1 target for 2nd-year quarterback Jaxson Dart.
“We’re back in New Jersey for Giants practice,” ESPN’s Jordan Raanan wrote on his official X account on August 10. “But before we start, some players who stood out in West Virginia: TE Isaiah Likely — Jaxson Dart’s No. 1 target. Moves smoothly.”
In his 1st 4 NFL seasons, Likely never even topped 500 receiving yards and never had more than 6 touchdowns in a single season.
On paper, Likely’s career averages of 32 receptions, 423 yards, and 4 touchdowns speak more to being a high-end TE2 option.
Giants Need Isaiah Likely to Live Up to Potential
The Giants didn’t pay Likely all that money to be a TE2. They made him 1 of the NFL’s highest-paid tight ends with the hope he finally develops into the star everyone has said he’s going to be, and The Athletic’s Dan Duggan also predicted he’ll be the singular “breakout player” for his new team in 2026.
“This needs to be Likely for the Giants,” Duggan wrote on July 13. “The three-year, $40 million contract the Giants gave Likely was the richest handed out by the team in new coach John Harbaugh’s first offseason. No one batted an eye at the Giants making Likely the fourth highest-paid tight end in the league because his receiving talent is evident. But Likely never topped 42 catches or 477 yards in four seasons with the Ravens while operating in three-time Pro Bowler Mark Andrews’ shadow. Now Likely is the Giants’ unquestioned No. 1 tight end after following Harbaugh from Baltimore, and the team needs his production to match his compensation.”
Giants’ $40 Million Free Agent Called NFL’s ‘Top Offseason Addition’