The 2025 NFL trade deadline of November 4 is about a month away, and if things go a certain way between now and then for the Las Vegas Raiders, there is a player who stands out as a potential trade target for other teams.
There are other Raiders who could draw interest as the deadline gets closer, but the overall question is whether general manager John Spytek will entertain moving anyone. As an example, younger players who are finding their footing under the new regime would presumably be off-limits.
But one player has kept popping up in trade conversations, truly dating back to last season. No matter what the Raiders' leadership says about how integral he is to the operation in Las Vegas, writers and analysts continue putting him on the hypothetical trade block.
The Raiders are not trading Michael Mayer
Heading toward the teeth of Week 5, Lou Scataglia of NFL Spin Zone produced a list of nine players who could be on the move before the trade deadline. A Raider made the list, but not the one you would think.
"Michael Mayer was a second-round pick a few years ago but simply has not panned out thus far, and with the Las Vegas Raiders having taken Brock Bowers in the 2024 NFL Draft, it would make sense that Mayer could get a fresh start," Scataglia wrote. "There is a new regime in town, and this could end up being a mutual parting of ways when it's all said and done."
Mayer missed Week 4 against the Chicago Bears due to a concussion, but he seems to be trending the right way after being a limited participant in practice on Wednesday and Thursday heading into Week 5 against the Indianapolis Colts. He is officially questionable.
Beyond any questions about his availability for the Colts game or beyond due to his head injury, the Raiders' coaching staff has lauded the work Mayer is doing since OTAs. In Week 1, a plan to involve him alongside Bowers came to fruition, with a 63.5% share of the offensive snaps.
Bowers suffered a knee injury during that game to push Mayer into the No. 1 tight end role, but before that, the third-year man was still seeing a lot of work.
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Week 2 against the Los Angeles Chargers was an odd game for the Raiders' offense, and Mayer suffered his head injury very early in Week 3 against the Washington Commanders. The plan to have both tight ends as prominent pieces of the offense has not come to full bloom just yet.
Bowers is still dealing with the aforementioned knee issue, and he will be dealing with it until further notice. His practice participation went from limited on Wednesday to out on Thursday, and he is officially questionable for the game against the Colts. If Mayer is able to play, he's in line for a big role.
Update: Mayer has been ruled out for Sunday's game against the Colts.
#Raiders TE Michael Mayer (concussion) is now OUT vs #Colts
— Paul Gutierrez (@PaulHGutierrez) October 4, 2025
A new regime coming in would generally put players they didn't draft, and who seem to lack a significant role, on the trade block, and trade rumors easily surfaced around Mayer when last offseason started.
But that tune has completely changed since then, with both the praise Mayer has gotten from coaches and Bowers' nagging injury adding to his importance. Usually, we should never say never on things like this, but Mayer is not going anywhere between now and the trade deadline.