Who Should I Start? Isaiah Likely or Michael Mayer

Friday, May 30, 12:49 PM

Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh has high hopes for rising tight end Isaiah Likely as he enters the final year of his rookie deal in 2025. "I want to see [Likely] be an All-Pro," Harbaugh said . "That'd be my goal for him, and he's capable of it." The former fourth-rounder in 2022 has been the backup to Mark Andrews for much of his career, but that could be changing in 2025. Likely caught nine passes for 111 yards and a touchdown in the season opener a year ago, but he didn't have another 100-yard game the rest of the year. He ended the season with 42 catches, 477 yards and six touchdowns. In 49 total games with Baltimore, including 19 starts, Likely has 108 catches for 1,261 yards and 14 TDs. In 10 games that Andrews has missed due to injuries the last three years, he had 530 yards and seven TDs. If Andrews misses any more time in 2025, Likely will be a must-start TE1 on a weekly basis.

Saturday, March 1, 12:17 PM

According to league sources, the Las Vegas Raiders have had discussions with teams who have interest in tight end Michael Mayer. The team's second-round selection in 2023, Mayer hasn't had the type of impact the Raiders were hoping for, which is why they took Brock Bowers in the first round in 2024. Not only did Bowers become a first-team All-Pro in his rookie season, but Mayer had only 27 catches for 304 yards and two touchdowns in 14 games in his first year in 2023. He missed six games last season due to personal reasons and was barely heard from as Bowers excelled. It makes more sense for Vegas to trade Mayer for assets, and since he'll be on a team-friendly deal for two more years, there should be several teams that are interested. Mayer was completely off the fantasy radar in 2024, but he could resurface as a sleeper if he's traded to a team that utilizes him much more as a pass-catcher.