Isaiah Likely is the mismatch weapon the Giants built for Jaxson Dart

New Giants head coach John Harbaugh spent four years coaching Isaiah Likely in Baltimore, and one of his first moves in New York was to bring the tight end with him on a three-year, $40 million deal. Likely did not sign to sit behind Theo Johnson, though, as he figures to be a focal point in this offense.

Harbaugh and new offensive coordinator Matt Nagy are building a two-tight-end offense around Jaxson Dart, and Likely is the movable piece that makes it go. He gives a second-year quarterback a matchup problem the Giants have not had at the position.

A tight end who plays like a slot receiver

Likely lined up as a receiver on more than 70 percent of his snaps in 2025, which is the entire point of the fit. He is a flex weapon who works the seam and the slot rather than an in-line blocker, and that lets Nagy put two tight ends on the field without tipping run or pass. Against a base defense, Likely creates a mismatch on a linebacker; against nickel, he is a size problem for a slot corner.

That role reunites him with the coach who used it best. Harbaugh’s Baltimore offenses leaned on two-tight-end sets for years, and the Giants are betting Likely can become one of their most important offensive weapons in that same system.

Likely was held back in 2025

Likely underwent foot surgery at the end of July 2025, missed Baltimore’s first three games, and never found rhythm, finishing with 27 receptions for 307 yards and one touchdown on 36 targets. Set against the three years before it, that line reads like a lost season rather than a trend.

His yardage and touchdowns climbed every year from 2022 through 2024, topping out at 477 yards and six scores while stuck behind Mark Andrews on the Baltimore depth chart. Across four seasons, he totaled 135 catches, 1,568 yards, and 15 touchdowns in a part-time role. The Giants are paying for the player who trended up, on the theory that a healthy foot and a full-time job unlock the rest.

A running mate, not a replacement, for Theo Johnson

Theo Johnson caught 45 passes for 528 yards and five touchdowns in his second season, so the two tight ends are not competing for one job. Johnson is the bigger in-line option, and Likely is the move piece, which is exactly how Harbaugh split the position in Baltimore. Two capable pass-catching tight ends give Nagy the flexibility to run 12 personnel as a passing formation, and that stresses defenses built to stop New York’s receivers.

The money says cost-controlled bet

Likely’s contract carries $26 million guaranteed and only a $6.09 million cap hit in 2026, a manageable number for a starter-level weapon. If the foot is behind him, the Giants have a mismatch tight end in his prime for the price of a mid-tier veteran. Harbaugh went and got the player he trusts, and now the offense is built to use him.

By Anthony Rivardo

Anthony Rivardo is the COO of Empire Sports Media and the host of Fireside Giants, a New York Giants ... More about Anthony Rivardo