By no fault of his own, we felt that John Harbaugh and the national media were aligned in setting tight end Isaiah Likely up for failure.
Likely arrived in East Rutherford this past spring as the apple of the New York Giants’ eye, and he’s more than met the hype. The concerns about there being too much pressure on the Coastal Carolina product are long gone, and he’s quickly become New York’s most popular tight end since Jeremy Shockey.
The Likely-Malik Nabers duo has been exactly what Harbaugh envisioned all offseason, and both are well on pace to surpass 1,000 receiving yards. Nabers’ 41 catches rank fifth league-wide, and Likely is right behind him at 39 through six games.
Likely recently told reporters he sees his job as keeping opponents from double-teaming Nabers. We’d say he’s faring quite well in that regard, wouldn’t you?
Isaiah Likely keeps giving New York Giants fans reason for hope
Likely is on track to become only the second Giants tight end with a 1,000-yard season. Mark Bavaro still stands alone after recording 1,001 yards on the 1986 championship team.
We’re especially impressed by Likely’s humility, and even more so in the current NFL climate. He could have easily demanded the No. 1 receiving option after four years backing up Mark Andrews on the Ravens, but he still sees himself as a de facto decoy for Nabers.
If you’re a Giants fan, how can you not find yourself adoring Likely? He ranks second in receptions among tight ends and narrowly leads the position in receiving yards; Brock Bowers has one fewer yard, and both should be considered favorites for All-Pro first-team honors. No disrespect meant to the Cardinals’ Trey McBride, of course.
But if voters care about team success, then Likely absolutely has the edge. Despite numerous season-ending injuries and a quarterback carousel, the Giants enter Week 7 with a legitimate chance to win the NFC East. The Eagles and Commanders are spiraling on and off the field, and the 2-4 Cowboys can’t be trusted to save their season.
We suggested this past May that a successful season for Likely would involve roughly 60 catches and 600 yards. He should clear both numbers well before Thanksgiving, and we’ll see how J.J. McCarthy’s promotion to starting quarterback affects his target share.
Likely was 11 years old when the Giants won their most recent division title in 2011. That year ended with an improbable Super Bowl run, and we’re not going that far today. The ball is in their court to finish atop the NFC East, though, especially if they defeat the surging Texans on Sunday.
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