The Baltimore Ravens are heading into the 2026 offseason with no shortage of drama-and no room for error.
It started with the stunning decision to part ways with longtime head coach John Harbaugh, a move that sent ripples across the league. In his place, the Ravens tapped Jesse Minter, promoting the young defensive coordinator to the top job. Now that Minter has finalized his coaching staff, the focus shifts to free agency-and the big decisions that come with it.
One of those decisions? What to do about tight end Isaiah Likely.
The Tight End Conundrum
Baltimore made a major call late last season when they inked franchise tight end Mark Andrews to a three-year, $39.3 million extension. At the time, it looked like a clear commitment to Andrews as the guy at the position. But that move also cast some serious doubt on the future of Isaiah Likely in Baltimore.
Now, Likely’s future is even murkier. The 25-year-old tight end recently liked a comment on Instagram suggesting he "come back home"-home being New England, where he was born in Cambridge.
It’s not exactly a trade demand, but in today’s NFL, social media breadcrumbs often hint at something bigger. And with the Patriots fresh off an AFC title and looking to reload, the fit makes sense.
Production vs. Potential
Let’s call it what it is: Baltimore’s tight end group underperformed in 2025. Mark Andrews, despite being one of Lamar Jackson’s most trusted red zone targets, didn’t deliver the kind of production you’d expect from a freshly extended Pro Bowl tight end.
He finished the season with just 48 catches for 422 yards and five touchdowns-solid red zone numbers, but his overall impact waned, especially down the stretch. After signing his extension in December, Andrews managed only 11 catches for 90 yards and didn’t find the end zone once.
That’s not the kind of finish you want to see from a player you just committed nearly $40 million to.
Isaiah Likely, meanwhile, never quite found his rhythm after returning from a preseason foot injury. His final stat line-27 receptions, 307 yards, and one touchdown-was the lowest output of his young career.
But the flashes were still there. In spurts, Likely showed the athleticism and mismatch potential that made him such an intriguing weapon in the first place.
A five-catch, 95-yard performance here. A 60-yard game there.
The ceiling is still high.
And that’s what makes this so tricky for Baltimore.
A Bad Break for Baltimore?
If Likely does end up in New England, it could be a tough pill to swallow for the Ravens. The Patriots are already a problem.
Quarterback Drake Maye just finished second in MVP voting, and the team is coming off an AFC Championship. Adding a dynamic, versatile tight end like Likely-especially if he replaces pending free agent Austin Hooper-could give that offense another layer of danger.
For Baltimore, the stakes are clear. The franchise is still chasing its first Super Bowl appearance of the Lamar Jackson era. Letting a rising talent like Likely walk-especially if he ends up catching passes from Maye in Foxborough-could come back to haunt them in a big way.
The decision to extend Andrews was a bet on leadership, chemistry, and proven production. But if that bet costs them Likely, and he blossoms elsewhere, it won’t be easy to justify-especially if that “elsewhere” is in the hands of a conference rival.
Baltimore’s offseason is just getting started. But with tough cap decisions looming and talent on the move, the Ravens are playing a high-stakes game. And in the AFC, every move matters.