The Las Vegas Raiders, for all of their shortcomings and holes in their roster, have put together an incredible tight end room. It is highlighted by All-Pro Brock Bowers and promising third-year player Michael Mayer, but Ian Thomas, Carter Runyon and Albert Okwuegbunam are not slouches either.
Unfortunately, the group has been plagued by injuries, as Bowers hurt his knee in Week 1, and Mayer got a concussion in Week 3. As a result, they've played together sparingly, as Mayer missed the following two games, and Bowers finally sat out in Week 5 after dealing with the ailment for weeks.
Bowers missed Week 6's game against the Tennessee Titans as well, but thankfully, Mayer re-entered the lineup after clearing the concussion protocol. His performance should leave the team with no quarrels about what to do in regards to Bowers' return to injury.
Michael Mayer's strong outing means Raiders should be patient with Brock Bowers
Although Bowers was able to play through his knee injury, he did not look like himself. While Pete Carroll continues to be optimistic about his return to play, the latest reports have indicated that he could be out several weeks, and the smart thing to do would be to let him fully rest.
That can be a hard pill to swallow for some teams, as sidelining your best offensive weapon is like throwing in the towel. But not when you have a "backup" like Mayer on your team, who offensive coordinator Chip Kelly has frequently referred to as another starter.
Mayer proved with his strong performance against the Titans that the Raiders do not need to rush Bowers back from injury at all. Clearly, the third-year player is more than capable of holding it down for the Las Vegas offense and helping lead this team to victory.
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In Week 6, Mayer tied for the team-high in catches with five, while also recording 50 receiving yards and a touchdown. Not only was this his first score in nearly two years, but it's the first time this season that a Raiders offensive player not named Ashton Jeanty or Tre Tucker made it into the end zone.
Geno Smith was obviously glad to have Mayer back as well, as he spoke during his postgame press conference about how well the young tight end played.
"It was awesome to have Mike back. As you can see, he played a phenomenal game," Smith said. "He's tough as crap, man. I mean, he plays so hard every single game, and he's really, you know, him, Brock, a couple other guys, they're my safety net. I feel good when those guys are in the game, and as you can see, they do a great job and they make us better."
It may have taken Mayer a while to get there, but he is finally becoming the player that Las Vegas wanted him to be when they traded up to take him in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft. It can be tough sledding being behind Bowers, but Mayer rose to the occasion in a true starting role.
Las Vegas' 2025 season is still not likely to amount to much, so there is no point in risking Bowers' long-term health. This is especially true if Mayer can continue playing like he did against Tennessee, as the young player is emerging at the perfect time.