When the New York Giants signed former Baltimore Ravens backup tight end Isiah Likely to a three-year, $40 million contract in the early hours of free agency this past March, many were curious.
Why him, and why the hurry?
On Sunday night, in the Giants' 28-20 opening-night win over the Dallas Cowboys to start the John Harbaugh era, the nation saw exactly why the Giants targeted Likely.
"Yeah, I kind of was," Harbaugh said after the game when asked if he felt Likely would have such a huge impact so early in the season. "I mean, we paid him a lot. That's what we paid him for and he did it.
"And even after he put the ball on the ground, which I was not happy about, he knows he's going to get that video about three o'clock in the morning this morning with
a comment. But he said, he goes, ‘You can trust me.’ He said, ‘You can trust me.’ And Skatt said the same thing. He said, ‘You can trust me.’ And I do trust him."
Congrats to anyone who drafted Isaiah Likely in fantasy this year.
— Sammy Profeta (@profeta_sammy) September 14, 2026
8 tgt, 8 rec., 78 yards, 2 TDs
Guys looks like a STEAL pic.twitter.com/VbcZ6kY4P0
Likely caught eight passes for 78 yards and two touchdowns, setting franchise records for a debut.
This article originally appeared on Giants Wire: Giants' John Harbaugh on Isaiah Likely: 'That's what we pay him for'
