The Las Vegas Raiders were excited about their offense entering the 2025 NFL season. The additions of Geno Smith and Ashton Jeanty, as well as offensive coordinator Chip Kelly, to a unit that included 1,000-yard pass catchers Brock Bowers and Jakobi Meyers, left plenty of reason for optimism.
While Jeanty has started to get going as of late, Bowers has not been the same since his Week 1 injury. Meanwhile, Smith and Meyers have largely struggled, while Kelly's play-calling has not been great. The quarterback's struggles have been largely documented as well, as he leads the league with ten interceptions and has had just one turnover-free game.
Meyers, who was looking for a new contract in the offseason and did not receive it, has been virtually invisible over the past few weeks as well. However, it has flown under the radar because Tre Tucker is in the midst of a breakout year, which could make the seventh-year veteran expendable.
Tre Tucker's breakout season could lead to Raiders parting ways with Jakobi Meyers
Despite missing two games in 2024, Meyers had the best season of his career, as he recorded 1,027 receiving yards and four touchdowns on 87 receptions. Entering the final year of his contract, he asked for a new deal but did not receive one, leading him to request a trade, which also wasn't granted.
It appeared that Meyers was not bothered by the lack of long-term security, as he had a strong Week 1, finishing with 97 receiving yards on eight receptions. Over the past five games, he has recorded just 21 receptions for 232 yards. Those numbers have been even worse over the past three weeks, as the veteran wideout has caught 12 passes for 101 yards.
His impact has hardly been felt despite the absence of Bowers, and it now seems that his Week 1 performance had more to do with a revenge game against his former team, the New England Patriots, than his not being bothered by his contract situation. While Meyers had been a strong run blocker in previous seasons, he has often looked lost or uninterested in blocking for his teammates this year.
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Additionally, Tucker has seemingly taken the role of the Raiders' lead receiver, as his 356 yards and four touchdowns both lead the team, although he does trail Meyers by five receptions. Over the past four weeks, the third-year wideout has significantly outplayed the veteran.
In that span, Tucker has recorded 19 receptions for 290 yards and three touchdowns. Meyers, on the other hand, has caught just 15 passes for 164 yards. He has failed to find the end zone this season, as has every other wide receiver on the Raiders' roster. Tucker has also received 22 targets compared to 21 for Meyers over that stretch.
Tucker's ascension has seemingly made Meyers expendable, as Las Vegas is unlikely to pay him if his production declines. Instead, the Raiders' front office will likely rely on their young weapons like Tucker and Bowers, while looking to either develop Jack Bech and Dont'e Thornton Jr., or find a new lead wide receiver in the draft or free agency.