With Brock Bowers expected to miss “a game or two,” the Raiders are right back where they were before: leaning on Michael Mayer to hold the line.
That’s not exactly a panic move for Las Vegas. It’s more like a familiar one. Mayer already stepped into the starting role last season when Bowers was sidelined, and now he gets another chance to show why the Raiders have been so willing to trust him in a tight end room that was built to absorb hits.
The timing matters. The Raiders open against the Miami Dolphins this weekend, and Bowers’ absence takes away one of the offense’s biggest weapons before the first snap under first-year head coach and play-caller Klint Kubiak.
But Mayer is back in the same kind of spotlight, and this one comes with extra weight. It’s a contract year, and the former second-round pick has a real chance to force the issue.
He doesn’t have Bowers’ level of versatility or athleticism, but that doesn’t mean Las Vegas is short on confidence in him. Mayer has enough skill to matter, and in this offense, that could be enough to make him the focal point through the air. With outside options thin - Tre Tucker is the only possible exception mentioned - defenses may have little choice but to zero in on the tight end.
That sets Mayer up as Kirk Cousins’ safety valve, at least for the next two games and maybe longer depending on how the offense evolves once Bowers returns. For a player trying to build value, that’s a prime opening. Mayer can stack production now, then carry that film into a bigger decision point down the road.
The Raiders may not love what’s behind him, either. Ninth-year player Ian Thomas and fullback Connor Heyward are the likely next options if Mayer goes down, which only underscores how important he is to the plan. Still, the offense appears to believe it has enough other answers to keep moving, even with the tight end situation shifting again.
For Mayer, the window is small. But it may be just big enough to do two things at once: cash in in March and carve out a bigger role in the Raiders’ passing game from the start.
In Other News...
Indiana Suddenly Has A Kicker Question It Didnt Expect
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McAteers night had a little of everything, missing an early PAT before later settling in and converting one. For Indiana, the bigger issue now is less about a single kick than how long it might have to manage without Radicic, with no clear return timeline yet available. [Read more 🡒]
Lee Corso Update Will Hit Florida State Fans Right In The Heart
Lee Corsos public appearances have become rare since he retired after the 2025 season, but a recent reunion with Kirk Herbstreit in Orlando offered a familiar reminder of why he remains such a beloved figure in college football. Herbstreit described the physical ailments Corso is dealing with at 91, while also emphasizing that the longtime College GameDay analyst is still sharp and fully engaged when the conversation turns to the sport he helped shape.
For Florida State fans, any Corso update carries its own weight, given how closely his voice has been tied to the broader history of college football Saturdays. Even after the final headgear pick in Columbus closed the book on his on-air run, Corsos presence still resonates, especially because he continues to stay mentally connected to the game despite a past stroke and the challenges that have limited his outings. [Read more 🡒]
Charlie Becker Is Becoming A Huge Factor In Indianas Title Push
Charlie Becker has quickly moved from promising receiver to one of the early reasons Indianas offense looks so dangerous again. The junior has opened the 2026 season in emphatic fashion, finding the end zone multiple times in the first two games and giving the Hoosiers another reliable weapon as they chase a second straight Big Ten title.
Against Howard, Becker did most of his damage before halftime, catching three touchdown passes in the first half and putting his name squarely in the middle of Indianas title conversation. For a team trying to defend its place atop the league, having another playmaker emerging this fast only raises the ceiling, and it is starting to look like Becker will be hard to ignore as the season unfolds. [Read more 🡒]