With Brock Bowers sidelined while recovering from a meniscus trim, more of the spotlight in Las Vegas is falling on fellow tight end Michael Mayer. The 25-year-old Notre Dame alum has now reportedly become one of the highest-paid players at his position after the Raiders announced Saturday they’ve given the 2023 second-round pick a new multi-year deal.
The contract runs three years and is worth $45 million, with $30 million guaranteed, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. That works out to an average annual value of $15 million, placing Mayer behind only George Kittle ($19.1M AAV), Trey McBride ($19M), Tucker Kraft ($18.8M) and Kyle Pitts ($17.7M) among tight ends, per Over The Cap and recent reports about Kraft’s extension.
Mayer’s deal is notable inside the Raiders organization as well; Hunter Renfrow was the last player they extended from a rookie contract back in 2022, and ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler called Mayer’s pact the biggest three-year extension awarded to a tight end. In three NFL seasons Mayer has compiled 83 catches for 788 yards and three touchdowns.
Beyond the receiving stats, Mayer is valued for his physical play and blocking ability. At 6-foot-4 and 256 pounds he’s often used in heavy personnel packages — a skill set that fits an offense led by play-caller/head coach Klint Kubiak and should keep him on the field even when defenses key on pass-catching threats.
The Raiders appear intent on keeping Mayer and Brock Bowers together long-term, though that ultimately hinges on Bowers’ health and whether the team extends him past his rookie deal. Bowers, Georgia’s No. 13 overall pick in 2024, earned first-team All-Pro honors as a rookie after posting 1,194 receiving yards and five touchdowns, but he missed five games last season with a PCL injury and a bone bruise in his left knee.
Bowers, 23, underwent a meniscus trim after getting nicked up in camp and is expected to miss “a game or two” at the start of the 2026 season, Rapoport and Adam Schefter reported. In Bowers’ absence last year Mayer stepped up as a receiver, and he even found the end zone in the Raiders’ preseason opener this year.
Fan Take: This extension signals that teams increasingly value versatile tight ends who can block and catch, not just pure pass-catchers — Mayer’s contract could help set a market benchmark for similarly styled players. For NFL fans, a healthy pairing of Mayer and Bowers in Las Vegas promises an intriguing, multi-dimensional offensive look that could influence how other teams prioritize the position.
Source: sports.yahoo.com
