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TE Isaiah Likely of the Baltimore Ravens.
For the last 2 years, the Baltimore Ravens seemed on a path to waving goodbye to tight end Mark Andrews in favor of a young star in Isaiah Likely.
Until they weren’t.
The Ravens threw a wrench in Likely’s plans to be Baltimore’s tight end of the future and re-signed Andrews to a 3-year, $39 million contract extension midway through the 2025 season, sending a clear message to Likely that his future was elsewhere.
According to former ESPN NFL analyst Ryan Clark, that could end up being a huge mistake by the Ravens after Likely left in free agency for a 3-year, $40 million contract with the New York Giants on March 9.
“When you think about the way (Likely) was paired with Mark Andrews in Baltimore, he was the guy that gave you the explosive play, the guy that could stretch you down the seam,” Clark said on Monday. “Now, with Jaxson Dart, to give him an outlet closer to the line of scrimmage and closer to the tackle box … he could have the effect of a young Travis Kelce on this New York Giants offense.”
While that might seem like a stretch on the surface, Likely and Kelce, perhaps the greatest NFL tight end of all time, might have more in common than you think.
Tale of the Tape: Isaiah Likely & Travis Kelce
Let’s start with size. Kelce is 6-foot-5 and 250 pounds and made his name on athleticism and speed.
Likely is 6-foot-4 and 245 pounds and has made his name, to this point, on using his athleticism and speed — when given the opportunity.
They were both also drafted in a similar range. The Chiefs took Kelce in the 3rd round (No. 63 overall) of the 2013 NFL Draft while the Ravens took Likely in the 4th round (No. 139 overall) of the 2022 NFL Draft.
While Kelce missed all but 1 game of his rookie season with a knee injury, by his 4th season he’d already established himself as 1 of the NFL’s best tight ends — he had the 1st of 7 consecutive 1,000-yard seasons in 2016.
Likely had career highs of 42 receptions for 477 yards and 6 touchdowns in 2024.
Isaiah Likely Predicted as ‘Breakout Star’ for Giants
On paper, Likely’s career averages of 32 receptions, 423 yards, and 4 touchdowns speak more to being a high-end TE2 option, which is what he’s been for the entirety of his career.
The Giants didn’t pay Likely all that money to be their 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 predicts 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.”
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