The Baltimore Ravens’ offseason continues to get wild. Unfortunately, for every addition they’ve made, though, they’ve lost some key free agents. Free agency is unforgiving if you don’t have a ton of money, and Baltimore falls into that category.
On Monday, legal tampering began, and it’s been a rough go of it on the tight end front for the Ravens. They lost tight end Isaiah Likely to John Harbaugh’s New York Giants, and later in the day, the other Harbaugh brother decided to strike, as Jim Harbaugh’s Los Angeles Chargers agreed to terms with tight end Charlie Kolar.
Likely is expected to sign a three-year, $40 million deal, and Kolar has a three-year, $24.3 million deal set in place. Regardless of their impacts, Baltimore’s hands were kind of tied. Their $39.3 million Mark Andrews extension back in December pretty much confirmed that they’d be losing one or both of those rising weapons months ago. It makes them big free agency losers thus far.
Baltimore Ravens’ Mark Andrews deal blocked re-signings of key tight ends
The Ravens' decision to retain Andrews on a three-year, $39.3 million contract late in the 2025 season was a polarizing one at the time. Andrews has struggled to find his form in recent years, and Likely and Kolar appeared to be the future of the room. Now, after the two 2022 fourth-round picks have departed for better opportunities, the deal looks even worse.
The hope was to keep one of the two, and many thought it would have been Kolar. All offseason long, Likely pretty much made it known that he was trending toward a departure. It was Kolar that most fans were hoping would sneak back onto the roster, but apparently, his $8.1 million salary that he’ll earn in Los Angeles was too much for Baltimore to match.
While Andrews has long been a security blanket and effective red zone target for quarterback Lamar Jackson, the Ravens are losing two pieces that may not just be better right now, but have a much higher ceiling.
Likely was a mismatch anytime he was on the field. A foot injury threw his 2025 season off-course, but still showcased freakishly athletic traits at 6-foot-4. In an offense that lacks a true vertical threat, Likely’s explosiveness in the passing game will be missed.
In Kolar’s case, he seemed to be breaking out in 2025. He was never given a legitimate shot as a receiving threat, but always made the most of his limited opportunities. It felt like whenever he was thrown the ball, he was making a timely play. He was also a dominant run blocker for a rushing attack that lacked consistency from the offensive line.
The future is still bright in Charm City. Andrews can still be a reliable option. However, the Ravens will be hit hard by the losses of Isaiah Likely and Charlie Kolar.