Isaiah Likely talking with Jaxson Dart at Giants organized team activities
Isaiah Likely has the contract. Now the Giants need the production to match it.
New York gave Likely a three-year, $40 million deal with $26 million guaranteed because the offense needed another player who could win against linebackers and safeties. The contract is a bet on what he can become in a larger role, not a reward for a long run of dominant production.
The Isaiah Likely career numbers are useful context. He has 135 catches for 1,568 yards and 15 touchdowns in 63 games, including 26 starts. In 2025, he caught 27 passes and scored once.
Those numbers are a reasonable foundation, but they are not a $40 million answer by themselves. Likely has to become a regular part of the passing game, especially in the red zone and on third down when the quarterback needs a clean option.
The Giants also need him to help Jaxson Dart. A young quarterback benefits from a tight end who can find space, finish contested catches, and make a bad play call look less bad. Likely has the athletic profile for it, but the weekly consistency has to show up.
Isaiah Likely catching a pass during his NFL career before joining the Giants
Dec 27, 2025; Green Bay, Wisconsin, USA; Baltimore Ravens tight end Isaiah Likely (80) catches a pass against the Green Bay Packers during the first quarter at Lambeau Field. Mandatory Credit: Kayla Wolf-Imagn Images. Credit: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect.
The Giants need the money to show up on Sundays
This is where the contract gets uncomfortable. The Giants did not pay Likely to be a nice complementary piece who disappears for three weeks at a time. They paid him to make defensive coordinators account for him.
I am not asking for 100 catches. I am asking for a dependable role, strong third-down work, and enough explosive plays to make the investment feel connected to the offense. That standard is fair for the deal.
Likely does not have to carry the passing game, but he cannot be a passenger either. If he becomes Dart’s security blanket, the contract will look much easier to defend. If he stays a part-time threat, the Giants will have to explain the money every week.
Year 1 should answer that question quickly.
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