Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Jakobi Meyers was not selected in the 2019 NFL Draft, which automatically put him under the radar to start his NFL career. But he has topped 800 receiving yards in each of the last four seasons, making him hard to ignore as of late.
This has been despite some lackluster quarterback play with the Raiders and the New England Patriots, which has landed him on virtually any list of the most underrated wide receivers in the league. Last season, Meyers set career-highs with 87 catches and 1,027 yards in Las Vegas.
The Raiders have gotten a good bit of contract business done this offseason, from Maxx Crosby and Geno Smith to A.J. Cole and Kolton Miller. So, the conversation naturally shifted to who might be next for a contract extension, with Meyers and kicker Daniel Carlson as the obvious next two in line.
Jakobi Meyers weighs in on Raiders future amid contract situation
For his part, Meyers reportedly made it clear earlier this offseason that he'd like to get a deal done and remain a Raider. He also has no more guaranteed money left on his current contract, at least until his $10.5 million base salary becomes guaranteed to him in Week 1.
While Meyers is the Raiders' No. 1 wide receiver heading into the season, he is the dictionary definition of a No. 2 wide receiver in the league-wide scope. As such, his market value has been tabbed somewhere in the $17 million per year range by Spotrac and Over The Cap.
Meyers spoke with reporters after Thursday's joint practice with the San Francisco 49ers. With his contract situation obviously in mind, Levi Damien of Raiders Wire asked him how much he'd like to remain with the Raiders past this season.
"As much as they want me here. That’s really all I can say about that."Jakobi Meyers on his Raiders future
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There was no sugarcoating in Meyers' response, nor did he offer any of the general platitudes or cliches a player in his situation might typically use. There is no knowledge of how far contract talks have advanced for Meyers, but the ball seems to be in the team's court.
Meyers is not staging a hold-in because he wants a new contract, so maybe a deal is going to get done before the season starts. But as much as he seems to want to remain a Raider long-term, Meyers knows it takes two to tango, and it seems he's a little unsure if the team shares his desire.
With three young rookies and an emerging Tre Tucker now in the fold, Las Vegas could seek to save money somewhere, despite being flush with salary cap space. Raider Nation surely wants Meyers back, and the fans know where he stands, so it is all up to John Spytek, Pete Carroll and their staffs.