The Baltimore Ravens extended tight end Mark Andrews last year on a three-year, $39 million deal. That all but left the door open for Isaiah Likely, the backup tight end and soon-to-be free agent, to explore other opportunities. And it turns out, Likely may already have an idea of where he would like to land.
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Likely, 25, still has plenty of untapped upside. However, he took a hit to his free agent stock last season after suffering a preseason injury that forced him to miss the first three games of the regular season. That could slightly lower his market value and potentially convince a team like New England to act quickly once free agency opens on March 11.
The Patriots need more pass catchers around quarterback Drake Maye if they want to make another trip to the Super Bowl. Likely would make a lot of sense in that offense. The Massachusetts native has also added fuel to the speculation. He recently liked a fan comment inviting him to “come back home,” which only intensified the buzz about a possible reunion.
: Free agent TE Isaiah Likely, who grew up in Massachusetts, liked a comment on his IG post telling him to “come back home”
The Patriots are loaded with cap space and will likely have an aggressive offseason in terms of acquiring talent to try reaching the Super… pic.twitter.com/zm9GbRXuY0
— JPA (@jasrifootball) February 15, 2026
New England currently has over $32 million in cap space. They could realistically target the tight end, who is projected by Spotrac to land a two-year, $17.6 million deal. However, the truth is, Likely is still relatively unproven, and it is hard to say whether New England would roll the dice on him.
The team is also expected to eventually hand cornerback Christian Gonzalez a lucrative extension that could reach $40 million per year, which will complicate plans to spend heavily on offense. Still, as seen in the past, some contract restructuring could create enough flexibility to bring Likely onto the 53-man squad.
And if Likely taps into his full potential, similar to when he was one of the cornerstones at Everett High School in Massachusetts and helped the Crimson Tide win back-to-back Division 1 state championships in 2016 and 2017, the Patriots would be more than satisfied with the investment. That said, it is a projection.
Likely has struggled at times under pressure at the NFL level, and there is no guarantee a change of scenery would immediately fix the issues. But regardless, it is time for him to step out from the shadow of an All-Pro tight end like Andrews, whether that happens in New England or elsewhere.
Other potential landing spots for Likely are- Kansas City, Washington, and the Los Angeles Rams.
