Getty
Baltimore Ravens Tight End Isaiah Likely
The Baltimore Ravens made their intentions for the future at tight end clear when they signed veteran Mark Andrews to a 3-year, $39 million contract extension during the 2025 regular season after months of trade speculation.
While it’s not clear what new head coach Jesse Minter’s feelings about Andrews might be, superstar quarterback Lamar Jackson’s feelings about the veteran tight end are very much out in the open — he loves him — which might spell the end of the road for talented backup Isaiah Likely.
Likely’s future, which has been in flux for the last year, is finally starting to come into focus with the start of free agency approaching and the Massachusetts native may have just dropped a critical hint about where he intends to sign by liking a recent social media post.
“TRENDING: Free agent TE Isaiah Likely, who grew up in Massachusetts, liked a comment on his IG post telling him to ‘come back home,’ ” JPA Football wrote on its official X account. “The Patriots are loaded with cap space and will likely have an aggressive offseason in terms of acquiring talent to try reaching the Super Bowl again.”
Likely, 6-foot-4 and 245 pounds, grew up in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and graduated from powerhouse Everett High.
The Patriots won the AFC Championship in 2025 after dropping approximately $364 million on 19 contracts in free agency last year, including almost $200 million in guaranteed money.
Likely’s Free Agent Stock Plummeted in 2025
Likely watched his free agency stock go in the tank in 2025 after he broke his foot in the preseason, missed 3 games to start the season, then struggled to regain his form as the Ravens went from Super Bowl contenders to missing the playoffs.
Likely, who seemed like he had a chance to be the top free agent tight end on the market in the 2026 cycle, now finds himself looking up at everyone else in those terms.
Spotrac projects Likely’s next deal at just 2 years, $17.6 million. Bleacher Report has Likely ranked as just the No. 45 overall free agent prospect.
“Isaiah Likely has traditionally served as a complement to fellow Baltimore Ravens tight end Mark Andrews,” Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox wrote. “However, the 25-year-old is a fast and athletic pass-catcher who could serve as another team’s top receiving tight end. Likely has averaged 11.6 yards per catch during his career.”
NFL Insider Warns ‘Buyer Beware’ on Likely
Bleacher Report’s Alex Kay put Likely at the top of his list of “Buyer Beware” NFL free agents in 2026.
“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.”
Tony Adame covers the NFL for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Washington Commanders, Dallas Cowboys, Baltimore Ravens, Philadelphia Eagles and Denver Broncos. A veteran sports writer and editor since 2004, his work has been featured at Stadium Talk, Yardbarker, NW Florida Daily News and Pensacola News Journal. More about Tony Adame
More Heavy on Ravens
Loading more stories