Remember the quiet tension before a fourth-down snap in the divisional round? That breathless pause where everything – the season, the city’s hope, the very air in the stadium – hangs suspended? That’s the space the Ravens occupy right now, perched between rewarding brilliance and silencing critics. Their Super Bowl window is wide open. But for how long, no one’s sure. And in the center of it all, catching passes and now headlines, is Isaiah Likely.

It started with a whisper in the huddle—short-handed, primetime, season on the brink. No Andrews. No excuses. Lamar Jackson glanced over, saw Likely lined up, and didn’t flinch. “Just step up and play like Isaiah… Don’t try to mimic your game after Mark.” That was Jackson’s simple, powerful directive back in 2023 when Mark Andrews went down. What followed wasn’t imitation—it was ignition.

Likely ran crisp, fearless routes through the teeth of the Bills’ defense, caught everything in sight, and left fans wondering whether Baltimore had stumbled onto something far more permanent than a backup plan. Fast forward to today, and the Ravens have reportedly made their move, extending an offer to the ascending tight end worth $13 million per year, mirroring Andrews’ own deal.

It’s a decisive vote of confidence from John Harbaugh and the front office, a statement that Likely isn’t just the future; he’s foundational now. For a guy drafted in the fourth round (139th overall) out of Coastal Carolina back in 2022, it’s a meteoric rise fueled by 108 career catches, 1,261 yards, and 14 touchdowns across 49 games (19 starts).

His trajectory? Steady and trending upward: receptions climbing (36 → 30 → 42), impact undeniable, especially when the lights are brightest (think that 73-yard, one-TD playoff performance vs. the Bills or the leaping ‘MOSSED HIM!!!’ TD over Derek Stingley Jr.).

It’s an investment in the tangible – in the 6′ 4″, 247 lb target who exploded for nine catches and 111 yards against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 1 last year, showcasing a “brake-check juke” so slick it drew Jackson high-school comparisons (“His was dope. His was in the NFL,” from Lamar himself). It’s faith in the ‘chess piece,’ as Likely calls himself, who creates mismatches whether inline, in the slot, or even in the backfield.

Recognizing the 11.7 yards-per-catch average and the clutch gene that surfaces when the pressure mounts. “I want to see him be an All-Pro,” Harbaugh declared this offseason. “That’d be my goal for him, and he’s capable of it.” This contract offer is the first major step toward that reality, ensuring the Likely–Jackson connection, forged in practice with shouts of “Throw it up, I’ve got you!” – remains a central thread in the Ravens’ offensive tapestry for years to come.

Harbaugh’s bruised aesthetics: Uniform debate shadows Baltimore’s purple reign

Yet, even as the Ravens secure a key offensive weapon, another kind of critique fluttered down this week – one aimed not at their play, but their look. USA TODAY’s Nate Davis delivered a verdict that likely ruffled feathers in the Charm City nest, ranking the team’s iconic uniforms a middling No. 25 in the league.

“I’ve long contended they look like bruises,” Davis wrote, acknowledging the unintentional aptness for a franchise known for its physicality, “which is somehow apropos given the tough guy football identity this franchise has almost always had.” He gave a begrudging nod to the Maryland flag detail on the shoulders and the novelty of last year’s ‘Purple Rising’ alternate helmet featuring the forward-facing raven, but concluded with a dismissive, “But meh.” Ouch. Talk about a rough update landing right as the team locks down a core piece for its future.

Sure, debating fabric hues feels trivial next to blockbuster contracts, but uniforms are woven into a team’s soul. For a franchise celebrating its 30th season, steeped in Edgar Allan Poe’s gothic legacy, purple isn’t just a color – it’s royalty, it’s uniqueness (shared only with the Minnesota Vikings), it’s Baltimore.

That all-black ‘Pitch Black’ alternate under the prime-time lights? Pure intimidation, a visual extension of the Ravens’ defensive DNA. Labeling them “bruises” misses the poetry entirely. It overlooks the regal defiance in the purple, the sleek power of the black, the subtle gold accents adding punch – a visual identity as carefully crafted as any game-winning drive.

While pundits debate shades of purple, the Ravens are busy building. Securing Likely is about solidifying the core around Jackson, ensuring the offense has its dynamic, versatile weapon locked in. The uniforms? They’ll keep representing – bruises or badges of honor, depending on your perspective. But on the field, where it truly matters, the Ravens are betting $13 million a year that Isaiah Likely will keep making plays so beautiful, they’ll make you forget all about the ‘color commentary’.