With a deep breath, Ravens tight end Isaiah Likely leaned toward the crowd and delivered the news that his return to the field will be “very soon.”

Fans who packed into Jimmy’s Famous Seafood for the taping of WJZ’s “Purple Playbook,” which airs Saturday at 11:35 p.m., erupted in cheers.

The fourth-year tight end was poised for a big season before he broke his foot at training camp on July 29.

At the very end of practice, Likely was in a one-on-one drill with second-year safety Sanoussi Kane when he went down. In his first interview since the injury, Likely explained to WJZ how it happened.

“I caught a ball, landed on my ankle a little wrong,” Likely said. “Sanoussi was trying to make a great play on the ball and stepped on my foot... by accident.

“Grabbed my foot, felt like I couldn’t put pressure on it. Went inside, got an MRI, seen that I had cracked my fifth metatarsal (bone on the outside of the foot).”

Likely underwent surgery and was expected to be out six to eight weeks. He hit the six-week mark last week and returned to the practice field, fully dressed, Friday. He was labeled a limited participant and ruled out for the team’s Week 2 game against the Cleveland Browns.

He said his patience has been tested, but he wants to be sure he’s fully healthy before returning to game action.

“I feel like people don’t really understand the joy people really get from playing football until it’s taken away from you,” Likely said.

He said his rehab has reached the point where he’s mostly trying to get over the mental hurdles and trust his healed foot.

The Ravens return to practice Thursday ahead of their “Monday Night Football” matchup against the Detroit Lions at M&T Bank Stadium. While the Ravens handily beat the Lions when they visited in 2023, Monday’s game should present a tougher challenge. The Lions went to the NFC championship game last season, and they are coming off a 52-21 victory over the Chicago Bears.

With Likely out, Charlie Kolar, the Ravens’ top blocking tight end, was expected to play a larger role in the passing game. However, he has yet to be targeted, and the tight end group as a whole has not played a large role in the offense through two games. Just 10.6% of quarterback Lamar Jackson’s targets have gone to tight ends, as opposed to the 31.5% that went to a tight end or fullback Patrick Ricard in 2024. Ricard has yet to appear in a game due to a calf injury.

Likely is in the final year of his rookie contract, and he reiterated to the “Purple Playbook” crowd that he wants to stay in Baltimore. He, Kolar and Pro Bowl tight end Mark Andrews are all in contract years.