BALTIMORE — 135 career catches. 1,568 receiving yards. 15 trips to the end zone. Isaiah Likely brings a proven four-year resume to the negotiating table this March. The 25-year-old tight end enters the 2026 offseason staring down the barrel of his first major NFL payday, leaving the Baltimore Ravens front office to solve a brutal financial puzzle.
The Tight End Logjam
Isaiah Likely free agency rumors dominate the local sports radio chatter right now. Drafted 139th overall in the fourth round of the 2022 NFL Draft, Likely spent four grueling years proving his worth. He played in the massive shadow of Pro Bowl tight end Mark Andrews. Andrews taught the young prospect the ropes, but the pupil now wants his own classroom.
The 2025 season punished Likely physically. A broken bone in his foot forced surgery and derailed his training camp. He missed the first three weeks of the regular season. Once he returned to the turf in Week 4, the entire Baltimore offense hit a brick wall. Quarterback Lamar Jackson battled a brutal string of injuries—including back, toe, and hamstring issues—that severely crippled the passing attack. Likely ground through 14 games, securing 27 passes for 307 yards and a single touchdown. The production dipped, but his explosive athletic profile remains entirely intact on tape.
“I tell everybody, like, Baltimore’s home for me. But at the end [of the] day, business is business. So I’m just really just seeing what’s gonna happen.”
— Isaiah Likely, Baltimore Ravens Tight End (via the Gruden Goes Long podcast)
Free Agency Implications / What’s Next
General Manager Eric DeCosta doesn’t just manage a roster; he juggles chainsaws. The Ravens recently locked down Mark Andrews and wide receiver Rashod Bateman with lucrative extensions. All-Pro center Tyler Linderbaum commands a massive upcoming contract. The math simply stops working for a secondary tight end.
Likely wants to be a star. He publicly declared his intention to “blossom” as a primary target. He possesses the raw speed to outrun linebackers and the heavy frame to box out safeties in the red zone. Tight-end needy franchises with deep pockets will aggressively pursue him the second the legal tampering period opens. Expect a bidding war that Baltimore simply cannot afford to win.
