Overview
- Likely caught eight of eight targets for 78 yards and two touchdowns in the Giants’ season‑opening win over the Cowboys on Sunday night, a performance that set franchise debut marks for receptions and touchdowns.
- The three‑year, $40 million deal New York signed in March to bring Likely from Baltimore was explicitly defended by coach John Harbaugh after the game when he said the tight end had done what the team paid him to do.
- Training‑camp reports and game tape showed clear rapport with second‑year quarterback Jaxson Dart, who completed every pass thrown to Likely and used him as a reliable middle‑of‑field and red‑zone target.
- Coverage and commentators praised the outing and made high‑profile comparisons, but analysts pointed to a Sunday fumble and the one‑game sample as reasons to temper expectations for sustained production.
- Likely arrives after four seasons backing up Mark Andrews in Baltimore, and the Giants now face the short term task of testing his consistency and ball security while integrating him alongside Malik Nabers in the passing game.