Baltimore Ravens tight end Isaiah Likely began the 2024 season with a bang, catching nine passes for a career-high 111 yards and a touchdown against the Kansas City Chiefs in their own building.
With how the game ended, though, it's probably hard for him to look back on it too fondly.
On the final play of the game, Lamar Jackson rolled out and found a leaping Likely in the back of the end zone for what appeared to be a touchdown, which would've brought the Ravens a point away from tying the game. After review, though, officials determined that Likely's foot was just out of bounds, negating the touchdown and ending the game in agonizing fashion.
Immediately following the game, Kansas City Chiefs star quarterback Patrick Mahomes only twisted the knife for Likely.
"It looked good from my angle on the sideline," Mahomes said. "But then that first view you saw you could see the cleat. That's a great football team and I'm sure we'll see them again at some point in the playoffs. We're happy with the win now. He's got to wear white cleats next time, that's my advice for him."
Almost nine months later, Likely gave his own somewhat scathing response when asked if he would wear white cleats when the Ravens again travel to Kansas City in Week 4.
"See, I feel like everybody's waiting for me to wear the white cleats, but in my head, just being the bad little kid, I want to wear the black ones again and score that same way," Likely said last week on the Up & Adams Show.
This isn't the first time Likely has responded to Mahomes' jab, but it is entertaining to hear his defiant attitude.
Hopefully for Likely, this is a sign of what's to come when the Ravens meet the Chiefs again.
More must-reads: