The New York Giants spent big on free agent tight end Isaiah Likely, signing him to a 3-year, $40 million contract on March 9.
That’s money usually reserved for proven starters — the 6-foot-4, 241-pound Likely spent the 1st 4 seasons of his career as the backup to Baltimore Ravens star Mark Andrews while playing for current Giants head coach and former Ravens head coach John Harbaugh.
To be clear, the Giants are paying Likely for what he’s about to become — not what he’s been. And through the 1st 2 weeks of training camp, it looks like Likely is becoming a central part of the Giants’ offense paired with 2nd-year quarterback and 2025 1st-round pick Jaxson Dart.
The Giants moved training camp back from Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, to New Jersey this week and open their preseason schedule on Saturday against the Minnesota Vikings.
“We’re back in New Jersey for Giants practice,” ESPN’s Jordan Raanan wrote on his official X account on Monday. “But before we start, some players who stood out in West Virginia: TE Isaiah Likely — Jaxson Dart’s No. 1 target. Moves smoothly.”
Isaiah Likely Called ‘Breakout Player’ for Giants
In his 1st 4 seasons, Likely never even topped 500 receiving yards for the Ravens 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.
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 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.”
Isaiah Likely Impressed in Offseason Workouts
There was always a thought, when he was with the Ravens, that Likely would not just become his team’s No. 1 tight end, but eventually be 1 of the best tight ends in the NFL.
Likely turned heads during offseason workouts with the Giants, including 1 highlight-reel catch during OTAs.
“One of the top free agents that the Giants added was Isaiah Likely, who played under John Harbaugh in Baltimore,” CBS Sports NFL reporter Tyler Sullivan wrote in May. “During his tenure with the Ravens, the tight end had a knack for uber-athletic plays, and New York got its first glimpse of that ability during OTAs. Likely did his best impression of the Jumpman logo, hauling in a one-handed catch from Jaxson Dart.”
Likely’s deal with the Giants also represents hitting a massive payday — the 2022 4th-round pick played out his 4-year, $4.12 million rookie contract in 2025.
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