Michael

Mayer

Mayer was seemingly set for a sizable workload, going 3-of-3 for 21 yards on the Raiders’ first drive. He caught his fourth pass on the second drive, which was punched out and recovered by the Dolphins, but the play was overturned. For his part, Mayer looked good on short in-breakers and out routes, and his six receptions tie for a team-high. The Raiders simply got up to a 10-0 lead early in the second quarter and controlled the game thereafter, leaving the passing offense to take a backseat role to the Raiders’ ground game. Mayer can be started as a TE1 again next week against the Chargers.

The deal was first reported by NFL Insider Ian Rapoport. Mayer’s deal includes $30 million guaranteed and his $15 million average annual value is third among tight ends. The Raiders selected Mayer in the second-round (35th overall) of the 2023 NFL Draft. He had 300 yards as a rookie and the Raiders drafted Brock Bowers 13th overall the following year. Mayer is firmly on the fantasy radar for Week 1 against the Dolphins with Bowers (knee) sidelined, but his value is unstable as the Raiders’ second tight end.

Earlier today, Raiders coach Klint Kubiak said he was initially optimistic that Bowers could play in Week 1, even after undergoing a recent meniscus trim, which is surprising. Kubiak, however, declined to discuss an updated return timeline for his star tight end. We do not yet know when he is expected back. In the meantime, Michael Mayer is a TE1 this week.

Mayer, 25, immediately vaults into the TE1 tier, especially with a matchup against the Dolphins’ defense upcoming in Week 1. Mayer banked two top-five finishes last season, notably catching 9-of-10 targets for 89 yards in Week 17 with Bowers on injured reserve.

Raiders No. 2 TE Michael Mayer should be added wherever available. On the plus side, this does not appear to be a long-term absence, but missing Bowers for a couple of games is obviously concerning. According to Schefter, Bowers “got banged up ‘a little in camp’ and the injury was diagnosed last week.” With any luck, fantasy managers can expect to get their TE1 back for the Raiders’ Week 3 game against the Saints. Mayer is a TE1 in the meantime.

Someone has to catch passes here, and the Raiders don’t have a single receiver who has cracked 700 yards in an NFL season. Both GM John Spytek and Kubiak have touted the idea of playing in bigger personnel. It’s certainly possible that Mayer gets more of a role in 2026, but with Brock Bowers ahead of him in the pecking order, Mayer probably belongs in the low-end TE2 pecking order until we see a firm role.

Coming off a career day (nine catches, 89 yards) in Week 17, Mayer was limited to a couple grabs in a low-octane game against the Chiefs. Mayer finishes 2025 with 32 catches for 281 yards and a touchdown as the Raiders’ distant No. 2 tight end behind Brock Bowers. He proved viable as a fantasy starter when Bowers was out, but the Raiders proved unable to feed multiple tight ends. Mayer, with 82 receptions and 767 yards over 37 NFL games, will return to Vegas for his fourth season, and could get an extension if the Raiders plan on using him more in 2026.

Mayer showed off his versatility in this one, lining up all over the formation. He nearly hauled in a pass on a short crossing route from the Giants’ 12-yard line, but QB Geno Smith’s pass was off the mark, allowing Giants LB Bobby Okereke to snatch the ball away, robbing Mayer of a potential catch-and-run touchdown. Aside from that, Mayer regularly picked up chunk gains between the 20s. He remains a TE1 against the Chiefs in Week 18, though Kenny Pickett could get the start with Geno Smith suffering a high-ankle sprain today.

He was more involved in the Vegas offense than third receiver Tyler Lockett (1/6 on two targets in 15 snaps) as Mayer handled 36 snaps while the Raiders tried to slow down Houston’s pass rush with chips. Mayer is not a recommended fantasy play and hasn’t done much from a fantasy perspective while Brock Bowers has been active.

Nor is Dont’e Thornton (concussion), as the Raiders get back some supporting cast members against the Eagles. Neither player is fantasy-interesting at this time, though Mayer has flirted with it at points of this season. The passing offense is simply too limited to get this far down the depth chart at this time.