Michael Mayer was supposed to be the second part of a potent 1-2 punch at tight end for the Raiders this season. That plan hit a snag when three weeks into the season, Mayer began missing practices for personal reasons. And after a couple weeks away from the team, he was placed on the Non-Football illness list.
Today, as the team gears up for their first game out of their bye week, Mayer returned to the practice field. His return to practice opens a 21-day window for him to come off the NFI list and return to the field.
Mayer came into the 2023 draft considered by some to be the best tight end in that draft. He would be still available at the top of the second round, causing the Raiders to trade up to 35 overall to get him. A move many believed was a steal.
His rookie season didn’t quite live up to the billing as one of the draft’s top tight ends. Then come this year’s draft, when the Raiders were set to make their pick at 13 overall, Georgia TE Brock Bowers was still available as the best overall player on the board, so they took him. Prompting head coach Antonio Pierce to give Mayer a call to reassure him he was part of the plan.
Bowers stepped into the number one tight end role, with the hopes that he and Mayer would make for one of the better TE duos in the league. Though three games, Bowers was putting up historic numbers while Mayer had just four catches for 21 yards.
Whatever the reason for Mayer’s prolonged absence, hopefully he’s got himself right again and can begin to contribute to the offense in the fashion the Raiders had hoped to see from him.
