No tight end had more receiving yards than the New York Giants' Isaiah Likely entering Week 7. He was getting fed early and often — by veteran quarterback Jameis Winston — but it was a different story in J.J. McCarthy's first start.
McCarthy looked pretty good en route to leading the Giants to a surprising 27-21 overtime upset win over the Houston Texans on the road. He completed 20 of 28 passes for 252 scoreless yards. A touchdown or two of his own would've been nice, but the only knock on an otherwise solid outing is Likely's lack of involvement.
Houston, do we have a problem? Likely was largely an afterthought against the Texans, hauling in two of four targets for just 12 measly yards.
J.J. McCarthy takeover raises new questions about Isaiah Likely's role
Seeing Malik Nabers lead New York's passing attack shouldn't be too much of a surprise, if at all. A certified alpha, the star wide receiver is building momentum as he moves past the torn ACL and meniscus that cut his 2025 campaign short. Likely's quiet day, however, was a bit shocking.
Heading into the Giants' victory in Houston, Likely drew at least five looks in every contest this season. He recorded at least five receptions and 33 yards in five of the Giants' first six matches. Seeing him on the back burner in Game 1 of the McCarthy era hardly feels like a coincidence.
Perhaps Likely's usage (or lack thereof) had more to do with the opponent than with who was throwing him the ball. The Texans have hemorrhaged yards to outside receivers in 2026; their typically elite cornerback duo, Derek Stingley Jr. and Kamari Lassiter, has been uncharacteristically vulnerable. That feels like the only logical explanation for relegating such an indispensable offensive weapon to third fiddle behind Nabers and Big Blue's running backs.
Nevertheless, coming out of the Giants' upcoming bye, Likely's production splits with Winston and McCarthy will be worth monitoring.
Isaiah Likely has a prime bounce-back opportunity on tap
Up next for Likely and the G-Men is the NFC East rival Philadelphia Eagles in Week 9. His outlook for the divisional showdown is much more promising than it was when facing the Texans. He has a golden opportunity to get back on track, assuming the early regression with McCarthy isn't permanent.
The Eagles are near the bottom of the NFL in slot receptions and yards allowed this year. Likely has lined up inside on 81.4 percent of his snaps, ranking second among TEs who have run at least 50 routes. For context, Arizona Cardinals standout Trey McBride is third at 65.9 percent.
Between Philadelphia's defensive struggles in the middle of the field and his utilization, Likely should be able to bounce back. He's still a key piece of the puzzle in New York, regardless of whether McCarthy or Winston is under center.
Note: Advanced metrics courtesy of Fantasy Points' data suite 2.0 ($).
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