Michael Mayer doesn’t have to turn into the Raiders’ featured star to matter in a big way. What Las Vegas needs from him is simpler than that: become the dependable passing-game threat this offense has been missing.
That need stands out even more because the wide receiver room still has a clear hole in it. The Raiders brought in Jalen Nailor in free agency, but Brock Bowers remains the top option in the passing game, and there’s a steep drop after him.
Tre Tucker and Jack Bech still haven’t locked themselves in as reliable targets. Mayer, on the other hand, flashed real receiving ability in his 2026 debut and gave the Raiders a look at what another productive option could mean.
That came in Las Vegas’ 27-14 loss to the Arizona Cardinals on Thursday, its first preseason game. With Bowers out, Mayer was the one who had to carry more of the load, and he answered with a strong showing.
For Mayer, this has always been about opportunity as much as talent. The former Notre Dame tight end was a 2023 second-round pick, but his rookie year came with plenty stacked against him.
He shared the field with Davante Adams, Josh Jacobs and Jakobi Meyers, and the Raiders also brought in Austin Hooper in free agency to start at tight end. There simply wasn’t enough room for Mayer’s receiving game to be featured.
Now the situation looks different. Las Vegas has also had trouble finding a competent starting quarterback to fully unlock him, but that changes in 2026.
The team has leaned on veteran quarterbacks in free agency in the past, but never a first-round quarterback until now. Kirk Cousins and Fernando Mendoza are two additions that could change the trajectory of the fourth-year tight end.
Mayer’s value isn’t just tied to catching passes, either. If anything, he may be the more physical presence compared to Bowers.
That matters for a team that wants to lean into a punishing run game. Alongside Ashton Jeanty, rookie running back Mike Washington Jr. also looks like a playmaker, and that gives head coach Kliff Kubiak more reason to build around young, powerful weapons.
That kind of approach should put Mayer right in the middle of things. Fans have already seen the sort of edge he can bring, including the play where Khalil Mack was obliterated by the young tight end. More of that kind of physicality could be coming once the ground game gets going.
Bowers and Mayer may be the NFL’s best tight end duo, and Mayer sounds ready to embrace that pairing. He talked about it in a press conference last week.
“We can both block really well. I think it’s going to be an interesting season,” Mayer said.
That setup also points toward plenty of 12 personnel with this roster, especially with Tyler Linderbaum now in the middle at center. For linebackers, that’s a problem waiting to happen if Las Vegas starts leaning into its size and strength.
Mayer’s college résumé is easy to forget because Bowers gets so much of the attention now, but the Notre Dame product was a big-time prospect in his own right. The true freshman from Independence, Kentucky, made an immediate impact and eventually finished as the school’s all-time leader in receptions, yards and touchdowns by a tight end.
That production is part of why Mayer remains such an intriguing piece for this offense. The receiving talent has always been there. Now the Raiders need to use it.
“I got to put my head down and I got to work,” Mayer said. “Good things are going to happen.”
No. 87 could be headed for the best season of his young career.
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