Isaiah Likely has been able to flash in each of his first two seasons when Mark Andrews has missed time. After logging three TE1 and three TE2 performances in his rookie season, Likely’s big shot came in 2023 when Andrews went down in Week 11 and missed the remainder of the regular season.

Likely did not disappoint in his opportunity. In fact, in the nine games Andrews has missed over the past two seasons, Likely has been on pace to break the 200-PPR point barrier when projected across an entire season.

Unfortunately, when Andrews has been able to play, things for Likely have not been so great.

Likely’s potential has been evident since he was drafted, as he received plenty of hype in Ravens camp prior to his rookie year. Following his success at the end of 2023, the buzz for Likely in training camp this year included getting kudos from his head coach, as well as reports that he was learning as many positions as possible in order to see more time on the field.

#Ravens HC John Harbaugh on Isaiah Likely:

“He’s going to be a big part of what we do.”

Harbaugh has an 85% reliability rating on usage/workload coachspeak

The quote is almost exactly like the one Harbaugh gave in August 2022 (“He’s going to be a big part of the offense this… pic.twitter.com/20oUFtX8Ec

— The Coachspeak Index (@CoachspeakIndex) June 14, 2024

Ravens writer Jeff Zrebiec on TE Isaiah Likely’s recent OTA performance:

“From making highlight-reel one-handed catches in the middle of the field to finding openings underneath to pulling away from defenders after receptions, Likely looked like a player who will be hard to keep… pic.twitter.com/05wZQt2qHM

— Ravens Nation 𝙇𝙄𝙑𝙀 (@LIVERavenNation) June 25, 2024

Lamar Jackson: “Since day one, I’ve seen the potential in Isaiah Likely. … He’s got a guy like Mark [Andrews] in the [Ravens TE] room showing him the ropes, and then him just being himself, magic just happens.” pic.twitter.com/K5t5TZvymF

— Sarah Ellison (@sgellison) July 29, 2024

After receiving nothing but praise out of Baltimore this offseason, Likely was able to get even more reps while ramping up for the season as Andrews was sidelined after a minor car crash.

Then the NFL’s season opener came, and Likely exploded. Some people (who enjoy shameless self promotion) noticed Likely’s involvement early.

Obviously still very early but Isaiah Likely has been on the field A LOT.

Preseason rumors that he would be heavily involved look to be true…through 1.5 drives haha

— Kevin Szafraniec (@thecatdadff) September 6, 2024

Then Likely started making plays. He ended the first half with four catches for 38 yards. A nice stat line, but what made it even more impressive is that Andrews was held without a target up to that point, despite outpacing Likely in snaps and routes.

Not only was Likely doing it as a receiver, but also as a blocker.

Likely blocking Karlaftis into the earth pic.twitter.com/HuFDJh3y9P

— Superdrunkmark69 (@cjzer0) September 6, 2024

Likely continued to produce in the second half. As the fourth quarter opened, with the Ravens needing a play, Likely put the team on his back. He even added a little functional flavor at the end just for good measure.

Isaiah Likely is a BEAST!

🏈 9 receptions
🏈 111 yards
🏈 12.3 yard AVG
🏈 1 touchdown

He put it all on the line for the team! #RavensFlock pic.twitter.com/nhLXlOfNpK

— Nic Mason (@British_Raven19) September 6, 2024

With Likely already having a career game in the national spotlight, Lamar Jackson showed his trust in the young TE by targeting him on two of the team’s final three plays with the game on the line.

The Ravens’ three final plays. pic.twitter.com/a48SuoGK1h

— Jonas Shaffer (@jonas_shaffer) September 6, 2024

On the final play, this is how close Likely came to tying the game.

Isaiah Likely x Kevin Durant. 😅 pic.twitter.com/unjECcNKQt

— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) September 6, 2024

To be fair, the game should have never gotten to this point, as Jackson missed Likely and Zay Flowers while they were open on the two previous plays. Likely was also open for a while on the Ravens’ final play before Jackson pulled the trigger. Despite not being able to complete the storybook ending, Likely put both the league and fantasy owners on notice.

Of course, the internet was rational (and, more importantly, extremely entertaining) in regards to the situation.

Isaiah Likely to Mark Andrews as Lamar Jackson’s favorite TE for the Ravens: pic.twitter.com/wMWiISSS8A

— Danny Armstrong (@DArmstrong44) September 6, 2024

Isaiah Likely to Mark Andrews in the locker room at halftime: pic.twitter.com/ovSD1WqVxi

— Sleeper (@SleeperHQ) September 6, 2024

When things were all said and done, Andrews’ 53 snaps were only one more than Likely’s. However, Likely blew Andrews out of the water from a production standpoint, as the elder tight end finished the game with two catches on two targets for 14 yards. Meanwhile, Likely led all Ravens receivers with nine catches on 12 targets for 111 yards and a touchdown.

Does Likely’s Week 1 performance signal a changing of the guard in Baltimore, or is it more likely (no pun intended) to represent the high point of his 2024 season?

After Likely flashed in his rookie season, it was a bit confusing that he remained buried for the majority of his sophomore campaign prior to Andrews’ injury. Following Likely’s performance to close out the 2023 season, it was hard to envision Baltimore making the same mistake again.

After delivering on his preseason hype, it appears that Likely will have a significant role moving forward. However, expecting him to maintain his role at the top of the Ravens’ passing game — or even TE pecking order — seems a little far fetched. As Andrews missed significant time this preseason, he probably is not where he wants to be physically. At 29 years old, Andrews is also still in the peak window for TE production. This is not to say that Likely’s emergence will not dampen Andrews’ fantasy prospects, but projecting a full-scale takeover is a bit premature.

Both Flowers and Rashod Bateman played more snaps than the TEs. During their time on the field, Flowers received 10 targets while Bateman earned five. If Likely is to permanently surpass anyone in Baltimore’s target hierarchy, the best bet would be that he overtakes Bateman. The third-year WR has also been the subject of some offseason puff pieces, but has not flashed in his career the way that Likely has.

Expect Flowers, Andrews, and Likely to be the most productive receiving threats in Baltimore. While Week 1’s outburst may very well be Likely’s ceiling this year, he should be usable in most weeks. With the potential Likely has shown up to this point in his career, it would not be surprising to see him lead the team in receiving in a few more weeks over the course of the season.