For some players, free agency is a chance at a featured opportunity for the first time in their careers. That undoubtedly applies to former Baltimore Ravens tight end Isaiah Likely, who has battled a Pro Bowler, Mark Andrews, for snaps most of his pro career.
With Likely set to become an unrestricted free agent in March, which teams could bring in the talented young pass-catcher?
Tennessee Titans
Any of Isaiah Likely’s potential destinations will likely need some cap space, per his expected $8.8 million per year valuation at Spotrac. Why not start with the team that has the most cap space in the league? That’s the Tennessee Titans.
Likely is the type of high-upside swing that Brian Daboll might be looking for to build out weaponry around Cam Ward. The Titans’ existing tight end duo, Chig Okonkwo and Gunnar Helm, had decent respective seasons, but Okonkwo is now a free agent himself after failing to truly carve out a role (14.9% target share) in an offense begging for someone to step up.
There is some risk in signing Likely for potentially upwards of $20 million guaranteed when he’s never caught more than 45 passes in a season. Tennessee has the right type of capital to assume that risk.
New England Patriots
The wheels are already turning on an Isaiah Likely-to-New England maneuver.
Likely didn’t mind an Instagram comment from his recent courtside trip to a Celtics game, asking to “bring him home” to the area. The tight end is originally from Cambridge, Massachusetts.
From a football standpoint, it makes a ton of sense, too. Josh McDaniels’ system has always been predicated on unique athletes at the tight end position, which opened the door for Hunter Henry and Austin Hooper to combine for nine touchdown catches this year.
The Patriots currently have $38.98 million in cap space, which is plenty of room to bring in a unique weapon with a similar age profile to quarterback Drake Maye.
Denver Broncos
When Isaiah Likely was coming out of the NFL Draft, he was seen as a special receiving prospect who needed to refine his blocking skills. Sean Payton isn’t unfamiliar with one of those dudes.
Of course, Payton was the architect of an All-Pro run for Jimmy Graham in New Orleans from 2010 to 2014, and he’s been on the hunt for a “joker” in that mold since taking the Denver Broncos’ job opening.
Likely might qualify as a “joker”. He certainly showed off some of those open-field skills in 2024 to rank eighth among all tight ends in yards after catch per reception (6.2) of those who saw at least 20 targets.
Denver’s investment in Evan Engram didn’t pan out, so they might look toward Likely to fill the tight end spot in order to avoid a nervous wait for Kenyon Sadiq at No. 30 overall during April’s draft.
Philadelphia Eagles
Howie Roseman is a maestro at player valuation, so it’s unclear if he’ll break the bank for Dallas Goedert, who caught the second-most touchdowns at tight end (11) in a contract year.
Instead, a pivot to the unheralded, muted production of Isaiah Likely could make a lot of sense for a Philadelphia team with few holes, but minimal cap space ($9.8 million) and virtually no room to clear any more room with cuts or restructures.
In a weak draft class for tight ends, teams like the Eagles and Broncos will have to evaluate Sadiq and determine if he’s worth a first-round pick. If not, they’ll have to pivot to free agency with options such as Likely or Okonkwo.
Kansas City Chiefs
Of course, the union that football fans everywhere would love to see is Andy Reid getting his hands on another young, athletic tight end after turning Travis Kelce into a no-doubt Hall of Fame candidate.
From a football perspective, the fit couldn’t be better. Isaiah Likely’s best game as a pro even came in Kansas City during the 2024 season opener. He snatched 9 of 12 targets for 111 yards and a touchdown — and was a smaller big toe away from even more.
The obstacle here is Kansas City’s cap space entering March’s free agency period, meaning their best option — outside of the draft — might be begging Travis Kelce to come back at a discount.
Important Dates in 2026 NFL Free Agency
The legal tampering period runs for 52 hours, opening Monday, March 9, at noon ET and closing at 3:59 p.m. ET on Wednesday, March 11, just minutes before free agency officially begins.
During that window, teams can negotiate with the certified agents of players set to become unrestricted free agents. Verbal agreements can be reached and reported, but nothing is official yet.
For the first time, teams can recruit up to five players and speak with each for up to 1 hour via video or phone, rather than routing all contact through agents. The player’s agent must be present on every call. If a team wants to meet a player in person or have him visit a facility, that still must wait until free agency is officially underway.
Free agency officially opens at 4 p.m. ET on Wednesday, March 11, when the NFL’s new league year begins. That’s when contracts become official, not when they’re reported. The trading period also opens at that moment, allowing previously agreed-upon deals to be completed.
All teams must be cap-compliant by the 4 p.m. Wednesday deadline. The 2026 salary cap is set at $301.2 million, a $22 million increase from 2025.
Most of the market’s top players will have agreed to terms well before Wednesday afternoon. The tampering window exists to give that process structure. What’s new this year is that players themselves, not just their agents, can now hear directly from the teams pursuing them.Â
