Last year's dysfunction with the Las Vegas Raiders spared no one, and a breath of fresh air was absolutely necessary. Head coach Klint Kubiak is in line to provide that, especially when it comes to his area of expertise on the offensive side of the ball.
The headliners to benefit from Kubiak bringing a more efficient offense to Vegas are running back Ashton Jeanty and tight end Brock Bowers. Secondary nods on that front can also be given to wide receivers Jack Bech and Tre Tucker, but everyone stands to benefit to some degree.
It's fair to say Michael Mayer was not used properly by his first Raiders' coaching staff after being a second-round pick in 2023. It's also fair to say, despite Chip Kelly's early plans to use him alongside Bowers, Pete Carroll's coaching staff failed him too.
But when Bowers missed time last season, Mayer was fairly productive. He had more than 45 yards in three of the four games he played that Bowers missed, while averaging 2.11 yards per route run in those contests according to Pro Football Focus. That yards per route run average would have tied George Kittle for third-best among tight ends with at least 32 targets last season.
Improved Raiders' situation is very well-timed for Michael Mayer
As a second-round pick, Mayer is entering the final year of his rookie contract. That naturally makes 2026 a make-or-break year for him.
Last season, according to Sumer Sports, the Raiders used "12" personnel (two tight ends) at the fourth-highest rate in the league (33.76 percent). The Seattle Seahawks, with Kubiak as the offensive coordinator of course, used 12 personnel as the eighth-highest rate (29.85 percent).
The difference was efficiency. According to Sumer, the Seahawks' EPA per pass in 12 personnel (0.37) was far better than the Raiders' (-0.14). Seattle was also noticeably better in EPA per rush out of 12 personnel (0.04, compared to -0.29 for Las Vegas).
Apart from Kubiak's offensive scheme, which places priority on a second tight end being a factor, the Raiders' automatically improved quarterback situation will be good for Mayer. He did what he did last year when Bowers was out despite a pass offense that was among the worst in the league any way you slice it.
Now Mayer has Kirk Cousins, who has proven he knows what do with good tight ends over the course of his career. And whenever he steps in under center, two of rookie Fernando Mendoza's best friends stand to be Bowers and Mayer.
If he's healthy and productive next season, Meyer could secure a contract extension from the Raiders. Or he'll set himself up to become another team's TE1, with a contract reflective of that on the open market. Either way, finally having an ideal situation (if he can take advantage of it) is coming at the perfect time for the Notre Dame product.
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