John Harbaugh brought his whistle and his demanding culture to East Rutherford. He also brought his checkbook. The New York Giants head coach convinced his new front office to hand former Baltimore Ravens tight end Isaiah Likely a three-year contract worth $40 million. Paying an unproven pass-catcher premium money raises eyebrows across the league. Harbaugh knows exactly what he is buying.
Why the Giants Paid TE Isaiah Likely
Harbaugh watched Likely operate every single afternoon for four years in Baltimore. He saw the precise route running. He witnessed the explosive ability to generate yards after the catch.
He studied the subtle details that never fully materialized on Sundays simply because a premier veteran occupied the top spot on the depth chart.
Likely never eclipsed 500 receiving yards in a single season for the Ravens. According to PFSN’s TE Impact metric, his best season was 2024, when he earned a B and was ranked ninth. That lack of raw production makes a $13.3 million annual salary look like a massive gamble to outsiders.
Harbaugh views it as a highly calculated investment. The Giants are paying for future output based on daily practice habits and isolated flashes of regular-season brilliance.
Speaking at the NFL annual meetings in Phoenix, Harbaugh laid out his evaluation philosophy. He prefers to project what a player can do in an expanded role rather than penalize them for a lack of past volume. He trusts his own eyes over a box score.
“I’ve seen him make plays,” Harbaugh told reporters. “… And one thing that we always have tried to do is see what players can do. Not so much concerned about what they don’t do, what they haven’t done, what they can’t do.”
The supporting cast in Baltimore relegated the former Coastal Carolina standout to a secondary role. Mark Andrews consumed the vast majority of the tight end targets.
The Ravens operated an offensive system built entirely around Lamar Jackson and a punishing ground game. Opportunities for a No. 2 tight end were inherently scarce.
Harbaugh essentially confirmed that Likely was handcuffed by circumstance. The Giants will remove those restraints.
The head coach stated his complete certainty that his new acquisition will produce the kind of numbers expected of a highly paid offensive weapon. He noted that the lack of statistics in Baltimore was purely a product of the personnel around him.
Bringing in a familiar face also accelerates the installation of a brand-new program. Likely understands the rigorous practice expectations. He knows the operational tempo.
He serves as an on-field translator for the rest of the offensive locker room. That leadership value factor contributes to the hefty price tag.
The financial risk remains undeniable. A $13.3 million average annual value places him firmly in the upper tier of the tight end market. Front offices don’t often shell out that kind of cash for players lacking a resume of consistent dominance.
The Giants’ front office aligned completely with their new head coach to make this leap of faith. They’re betting on the coach and the player finding success together in a new environment.
How Isaiah Likely and Theo Johnson Fit in the Giants Offense
The Giants aren’t handing the entire positional workload to Likely. Third-year tight end Theo Johnson remains a foundational piece of the offensive puzzle in New York. The coaching staff envisions the imposing blocker being a massive part of their weekly game plans.
Harbaugh intends to deploy extensive packages featuring both players on the field simultaneously. He described Likely and Johnson as uniquely talented individuals who complement each other perfectly. Combining Johnson’s sheer physical presence with Likely’s receiver-like movement skills creates serious matchup problems for opposing defensive coordinators.
Defenses usually respond to heavy offensive packages by subbing in stout run-stopping linebackers. Likely has the speed and agility to run past those bigger defenders in coverage. If a defense counters with smaller safeties to respect the passing threat, Johnson can dominate the point of attack to open up the rushing attack.
This personnel grouping aligns seamlessly with the physical identity Harbaugh wants to establish. He routinely relied on multiple tight ends to bludgeon opponents during his long tenure in the AFC North.
He’s importing that exact bully-ball mentality to the NFC East. To compete with division rivals like the Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles, the Giants must control the line of scrimmage while generating explosive plays in the passing game.
The expectations for this offense are crystal clear. Andrews dominated the target share during his time with Harbaugh and Likely in Baltimore.
The primary tight end role in this specific coaching system demands high volume and consistent scoring. Likely steps directly into that featured role with the financial backing to match.
He has the lucrative contract. He has the unwavering support of his head coach.
He has a clear path to a massive target share in a wide-open offense. Now the former backup must prove his practice habits translate to Sunday stardom.
