Feb. 28, 2026, 4:25 p.m. ET
The label fits. It does so whether Baltimore Ravens fans like it or not and whether Isaiah Likely likes it or not. The possibly soon-to-be former Ravens tight end was recently highlighted in an NFL.com feature examining 11 boom-or-bust free agents ahead of the 2026 market. Take a moment. Step back. Look at the full picture. Sure, The Flock will always have a fondness for him, but it isn’t hard to understand why.
Several players are entering free agency, and there is a wide gap between their ceiling and floor. Arguments can be made, whether you accept them or not, that few players carry a wider gap than Isaiah Likely.
At his best, he has looked like a dynamic, matchup nightmare. He’s a weapon who can stress safeties up the seam, break tackles after the catch, and tilt coverage away from the outside receivers. At his quietest, he can disappear for long stretches in an offense that already funnels targets to established stars.
That tension has defined much of his career with the Ravens. As a result, even though all three of Baltimore’s top tight ends from last year’s depth chart were impending free agents, it was the old man among them, Mark Andrews, who was offered the extension to continue his tenure.
Here’s some of what Matt Okada mentioned as his reasoning for placing Likely in the boom-or-bust category.
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“At this time last year, Likely was coming off a breakout 2024 season in which he posted career highs in catches, yards and touchdowns. He seemed like the logical successor to longtime Raven Mark Andrews, who was heading into a contract year. Unfortunately, Likely’s production dipped in 2025, dropping to career lows in all three categories. Andrews, meanwhile, signed a three-year extension with the Ravens in December. Although Likely’s stock isn’t nearly as high as it was a year ago, there are still bright spots to highlight. Since 2022, George Kittle is the only tight end to rank higher than Likely in all three of the following categories — catches, yards per catch and touchdowns. Likely’s 8.1 career yards per target and 5.9 average yards after catch are both borderline elite.”
Okada also questions whether he can land a TE1 role elsewhere with a small sample of great production and whether an NFL franchise would give him that kind of shot after a down year. With free agency looming, evaluators are forced to ask themselves if he’s better as a complementary weapon who benefits from selective usage or if he’s capable of anchoring a passing game as a true first option at the tight end position.
If a team believes the efficiency is real and the ceiling is actually sustainable, Isaiah Likely could reward them in a big way. If the evaluations prove wrong, they’re paying for flashes instead of consistency. That’s the thin line that defines every true boom-or-bust bet in free agency.