Isaiah Likely has flashed potential while playing out his rookie contract. A first career trip to free agency looms, but remaining in place with the Ravens could still be on the table. 
Selected in the fourth round of the 2022 draft, Likely emerged as a regular contributor on offense in Baltimore. His most productive season came in 2024 with a 42-477-6 statline. Likely was expected to take another step forward in his walk year, but a preseason foot injury resulted in missed time in the fall. While slowly working his way back to full strength, he managed only 27 receptions and a single score.
Still, Likely could easily generate a strong market in free agency. The 25-year-old could be viewed as an option for an outside team’s primary pass-catching tight end role, something which could price him out of Baltimore. The Ravens signed Mark Andrews to a new deal in December, ensuring the top of their depth chart at the position will remain unchanged through 2026 and beyond. Likely may well need to head elsewhere to take on a full-time starting role as a result.
“With my agent, what I told him was I just want to be able to blossom,” Likely said during an appearance on the Gruden Goes Long podcast. “The last couple years, I’ve had a great vet in Mark Andrews, where he taught me everything to be a star-caliber tight end to the point where it’s like now I just want to be on a team where I can get out there and help a quarterback, help a team be able to put as much points on the board as possible.”
Likely has recorded a catch percentage of at least 72.4% in each of the past three years, and for his career he has averaged 11.6 yards per reception. Interested teams could thus see the Coastal Carolina product as a candidate to break out with an elevated workload. Likely said he is open to re-signing with the Ravens – something which would see him continue to share snaps with Andrews – but added “business is business.”
Baltimore has Andrews along with wideout Rashod Bateman under contract for multiple years. Zay Flowers is coming off his second straight 1,000-yard campaign, and 2026 marks the first offseason in which he is eligible for an extension. Making a big-money commitment to Flowers could leave Baltimore short on available funds in terms of pass-catching options, making Likely a name to watch as free agency approaches.
Health is key because the talent is there. Who will try to target him? The Giants, Falcons, Chiefs, Eagles, Dolphins, Commanders, and Jets are all teams that could use his skillset.