Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts enjoyed the last few years of throwing the football to tight end Dallas Goedert, but with Goedert a free agent now, Philly must find another solution.
For a while, it felt as though the Eagles were going to select Oregon tight end Kenyon Sadiq in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft, but a stellar NFL Combine workout now puts him out of reach for the 23rd overall pick. Bleacher Report writer Alex Ballentine had another free agent tight end in mind for the Eagles: former Baltimore Ravens tight end Isaiah Likely.
"The Eagles offense is in need of a spark. The unit felt stale in 2026 and the passing game needs to evolve. Replacing Dallas Goedert with a more dynamic receiving threat in Likely could be exactly what the doctor ordered. Kyle Pitts would have been a prime target, but he's going to be franchise tagged in Atlanta. Likely could reach new heights in an offense where he isn't stuck behind Mark Andrews. His ability to play in-line or as a jumbo slot would give the Eagles added flexibility."
Isaiah Likely could be a good solution, but will he be too expensive for Eagles?
Likely has a lot of good traits for a young tight end who has been in the league for four years, but the 2025 campaign with the Ravens was the worst of his career. He had just 27 receptions for 306 yards and one touchdown.
Entering free agency, Likely is looking at a nice payday that could make him the highest-paid tight end among the free agents. According to Spotrac, he is looking to make about $8.8 million per year in his next contract.
It would be tough to give a player $8.8 million per year when he hasn't even had 500 yards in a season. To Likely's credit, he's been a backup to Mark Andrews throughout his tenure with the Ravens, but it's a big risk for the Eagles to take.
Philly would be better off paying someone like Goedert, former Cleveland Browns tight end David Njoku, or former Eagles tight end Zach Ertz less money to be the veteran on the team. That way, the Eagles spend a Day 2 pick in the NFL Draft on a tight end they can develop.
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The thought of Likely is nice, but he might be too expensive for the Eagles, as they would be better off developing one of the promising rookies from the draft class.