The Las Vegas Raiders‘ pass-catching situation has a lot of question marks after Brock Bowers. In the offseason, the Silver and Black signed Jalen Nailor as a free agent, and perhaps Tre Tucker and Jack Bech will take on bigger roles.
Still, the No. 2 or No. 3 option behind Bowers is up for grabs, and one player being given a stern message to step up is TE2 Michael Mayer. Last season, Mayer played 279 pass snaps, leading to a 64.6 overall PFF grade.
Moreover, he hauled in 35 receptions on 47 targets for 328 receiving yards and one touchdown. Mayer also averaged 9.4 yards per reception and generated 200 yards after the catch.
Nonetheless, on the June 8 edition of the “Las Vegas Raiders Insider Podcast,” Hondo Carpenter of Raiders on SI noted that, for him, Mayer has the most at stake out of any player on the team entering this 2026 season.
“[Mayer is] coming into Year 4 now, and this is a monster year for him because he had a first-round grade,” Carpenter said. “This is a guy that obviously they expected, when he was drafted, he would have done significantly more than what he has done. And you can’t control injuries. I understand that.
“But this is a monster year for him because expectations on him are extremely high, and he’s never going to play in a better offense tailored for a tight end than what Klint Kubiak is going to run. So this is a monster year for Michael Mayer, not only for him but for his NFL career.”
Michael Mayer to Benefit From Having New Raiders HC
It’s been a challenging first three years for Mayer, given that the coaching on the Raiders hasn’t been the best, and no coach has been able to get the most out of the tight end. However, Carpenter believes that new head coach Klint Kubiak could utilize the tight end and help him reach his potential.
“Several people in the NFL have looked at Michael Mayer in the light of, well, he’s been on the Raiders,” Carpenter added. “There’s been a lot of dysfunction. That’s not the case anymore.
“For really the first time since he has been here now, he has some very solid leadership in the building, and he’s got some absolutely terrific offensive coaching, and they’ve got a scheme now. And for the first time since he’s been here, they have a legitimate quarterback in Kirk Cousins. So there isn’t any wiggle room for Michael Mayer.”
Las Vegas Will Set Up Michael Mayer to Succeed
Furthermore, Carpenter believes that Mayer will be a good fit for the offense Kubiak intends to run and should allow the tight end to produce better offensive numbers.
“I am going to tell you that he is going to fit perfectly in this scheme,” Carpenter said. “… I anticipate there’s going to be a lot of 13 personnel; I think we’re going to see a lot of 13. A lot. And so when you’re seeing some 13 personnel, that opens up even more doors for Michael Mayer.
“For Michael Mayer, this is a monster time. Even in mandatory mini camp tomorrow, he’s going to get a lot of balls. He’s going to get a lot [of balls] during training camp as well, but he has to perform. He has to tell a staff that didn’t pick him and a general manager who didn’t pick him, here’s the reasons you want to keep me here.”
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