Las Vegas Raiders tight end Michael Mayer has had his ups and downs during his career. He started out as the franchise’s future tight end. That changed when the Raiders drafted Brock Bowers in 2024 and demoted him to a backup role.
He struggled with personal issues and injuries over the next two seasons. Despite these events, the Raiders’ front office gave him a new deal. The deal shocked many in the NFL landscape, with an APY of $15 million over the next three years.
People questioned why the team would give so much money to a backup tight end. After the first six games, the way the Raiders deploy their offense with Bowers and Mayer has it making complete sense. Mayer is the inline tight end for most snaps, and the team uses 12 personnel on most downs.
Mayer has started the season with 266 receiving yards with 28 receptions and a touchdown. He is on pace for 753 yards, which is a high total for tight ends in the NFL. Against the Buffalo Bills, he had a career-high 95 yards on seven receptions, giving Kirk Cousins another option as the Bills tried to take away Bowers.
It wasn’t just checkdowns, either; he made big plays downfield. On Sunday, he showed he could be a serious threat in the offense with a 28-yard seam-route catch.
Michael Mayer would be a TE1 on a lot of teams.
— Marcus Johnson (@TheMarcJohnNFL) October 19, 2026
Adjust his route slightly to find the hole in the zone and Cousins hits him for a big gain. pic.twitter.com/Nc6XXNGnu4
Mayer is happy with his role and is proving he is worth every penny. The Raiders have two tight ends who will be the catalyst for how Kubiak wants to execute his passing game.