In just over 24 hours, Las Vegas Raiders tight end Michael Mayer will have one of the biggest opportunities of his career in front of him.
With Brock Bowers out for Sunday’s season opener against the Miami Dolphins, Mayer has the chance to go from a supporting role in Klint Kubiak’s offense to deserving of more targets. However, Mayer’s importance to the lineup is not simply limited to a game where he is in line to receive an expanded role. As two tight end offensive sets become more prevalent across the NFL, having at least two good players in that position group has turned from a luxury into a near-necessity.
The Raiders understand this new reality perfectly, and they have now shown just how much they are willing to commit.
On Saturday, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported that the Raiders have officially agreed to a three-year contract extension with Mayer worth $45 million, including $30 million guaranteed.
The deal makes Mayer the fifth-highest paid tight end in the NFL. Tucker Kraft also inked a deal on Saturday that gives the Green Bay Packers tight end the most lucrative contract at the position, with his extension giving him $19.66 million annually. The other three ahead of Mayer in terms of annual salary are San Francisco’s George Kittle ($19.1 million), Arizona’s Trey McBride ($19 million) and Atlanta’s Kyle Pitts ($17.6 million).
At first blush, Mayer’s extension has created two separate narratives, and neither of them particularly flattering: it is either a sign that Bowers’s latest injury worries the Raiders far more than anticipated, or a steep overpay to a player unlikely to rise above number two on the depth chart.
On the Bowers front, the news about his meniscus trim is still fresh, but he is currently continuing his recovery and aiming to come back in the early part of the two-week timeline that was given.
“He’s a champion,” Kubiak said during his Friday press conference when asked about how Bowers was approaching his recovery.
Sure, a setback was far from the news Raiders fans wanted to hear, especially so close to the season opener. However, Bowers was still able to make an impact despite knee issues last season with 64 receptions for 680 yards and seven touchdowns, even with the issues of the Silver and Black under center. Still keeping a high level of play, Bowers has earned the benefit of the doubt until what is shown on the field suggests otherwise.
As far as the contract itself is concerned, Mayer’s deal does help to put a couple things into perspective.
Firstly, it indicates that Mayer is set on an expanded role in Kubiak’s offense, even before the news surrounding Bowers. In an offense that features two tight ends and with a pecking order for targets that is still shaking out behind Bowers, this extension is a sign of faith that Mayer can be the player who takes the step up. The past couple of seasons have shown Kubiak’s willingness to use multiple tight ends (Juwan Johnson and Foster Moreau in 2024 with the New Orleans Saints, AJ Barner and Elijah Arroyo in 2025 with the Seattle Seahawks), so Mayer’s ability to catch and serve as an in-line blocker will be incredibly useful.
“I think it’s going to be interesting when we’re in there in 12 personnel what kind of defenses we’re going to see, what type of personnel we’re going to see,” said Mayer on Aug. 7 during training camp.
“That’s the offense we’re building here. That’s the offense we’re putting in and that’s always a positive for the offense. Always a positive when the ball’s getting spread around.”
Another note for why the Raiders did well to get Mayer’s contract hammered out now is that the tight end market looks set to explode in the coming offseason.
Sam LaPorta of the Detroit Lions will likely be looking to reset the tight end market again when he hits free agency this spring, but there are also plenty of names that will be eligible for extensions. Among them is Bowers, who will certainly get a figure north of $20 million annually on his next contract. Barner, Theo Johnson of the New York Giants and Dalton Kincaid of the Buffalo Bills will also be in line for new deals.
With Mayer, Raiders general manager John Spytek saw what the future of the position would be like from a financial standpoint. The choice was simple: pay now, or watch the market explode and lose all leverage at the negotiation table.
It adds up to one loose end already tied up before games are even played, and one where the Raiders being proactive could pay dividends at that.