Alexander Wilson
The NY Giants paid Isaiah Likely like a real offensive piece, and the early spring signs are already pointing in that direction.
Likely is not here to be a normal TE2 or a red-zone-only gadget. A three-year, $40 million contract with $26 million guaranteed tells you the Giants see more than depth. They see an answer for Jaxson Dart, especially while the receiver room is sorting through new veterans, Malik Nabers’ rehab timeline, and a pile of camp battles.
I like the fit because young quarterbacks need easy access throws that do not feel like surrender. Likely can give Dart that, and he can do it without forcing the offense to live in small-ball mode.
Likely gives Dart an awkward cover
Dart has already described Likely as a savvy, awkward cover during spring work, and the practice clips back up why. Likely made one of the early plays of OTAs with a one-handed catch over the middle, the type of grab that matters less for the highlight and more for what it says about his catch radius.
The Giants have spent too many years asking quarterbacks to be perfect, which is a bad way to develop a young passer. Likely gives Dart a bigger window, a middle-of-the-field target, and a route runner who knows how to find soft spots when a play gets muddy.
That matters even more with Harbaugh trying to build a heavier offensive identity. Likely can move around, attach to formations, flex into space, and make defenses decide whether they want to treat him like a tight end or a big slot.
Baltimore context explains the investment
The Giants did not have to guess about how Likely fits Harbaugh. He came from Baltimore, where he spent his first four seasons and helped in an offense that led the NFL in yards per game and red-zone efficiency in 2024. He also came from a system that used tight ends as real stress points, not decoration.
Likely’s career production is solid, with 135 catches, 1,568 yards, and 15 touchdowns across 63 regular-season games. Those are not superstar numbers, but context matters. He shared space with Mark Andrews and played in an offense where targets were not always built around him.
The Giants are paying for the next version, not the old box score.
If Dart is going to settle quickly, Likely has to become one of his trust pieces. Malik Nabers can be the explosive No. 1 when healthy. Darnell Mooney, Malachi Fields, and the new veterans can fight for receiver snaps. Likely can be the simple answer when the protection bends, the read gets cloudy, or the defense gives Dart the middle of the field.
That kind of role is worth real money if it works.
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