HEADLINES

Michael Mayer

Dolphins Seeking TE, CB Trade Acquisitions

June 30th, 2025 at 5:37pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

After sending Jonnu Smith to the Steelers this morning, the Dolphins are exploring a trade for a new tight end with multiple teams, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. The team is also interested in adding help at cornerback after parting ways with Jalen Ramsey in the same deal, per Omar Kelly of the Miami Herald.

Smith was not only Miami’s starting tight end in 2024; he led the team in receptions and receiving touchdowns with 884 receiving yards that trailed only Tyreek Hill. The Dolphins will be expecting bounce-back years from Hill and Jaylen Waddle to boost their passing offense, but Smith’s departure leaves the tight end room without a clear starter.

Currently, their most experienced player at the position is veteran Pharaoh Brown, who has started 18 games in the last two years (and a total of 54 in his seven-year career), but topped 200 receiving yards in a season just once. 2023 undrafted free agent Julian Hill has carved out a robust snap share as a blocking tight end, but he only has 18 career catches for 148 yards. Rounding out the group are Hayden Rucci, Tanner Conner, and undrafted rookie Jalin Conyers, none of whom have proven themselves in the NFL.

As a result, the Dolphins are looking elsewhere to bolster their tight end group, with Raiders tight end Michael Mayer named as an early potential target. The 2023 No. 35 pick is a player that “Miami has had their eye on…for a while,” according to Kelly, who noted that Mayer had “some on and off-field challenges” in his first two years in Las Vegas. He has missed nine games since being drafted with an average of fewer than 20 yards per game.

However, the Raiders have “no interest” in moving Mayer, per Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal, with a major role expected for him this season. Despite the addition of Brock Bowers last offseason, Mayer maintained a 63% snap share as the team’s’ inline tight end when healthy with Bowers spending a majority of his time in the slot.

If Mayer is unavailable, another tight end to monitor is Kyle Pitts, according to ESPN’s Marcel Louis-Jacques. He drew trade interest earlier this offseason that was not rebuffed by the Falcons, indicating their potential willingness to part ways with the former No. 4 pick.

No details have emerged regarding the Dolphins’ pursuit of cornerback help, though the team has been in touch with multiple available veterans this offseason. The free agent pool is deeper at cornerback than it is at tight end, so the Dolphins may prioritize the latter position in a trade and use their newfound cap space to add a corner.

Raiders Eyeing Increased Role For TE Michael Mayer?

June 22nd, 2025 at 7:33pm CST by Adam La Rose

Michael Mayer has not lived up to expectations early in his NFL career. The Raiders tight end was a trade target this earlier this offseason, but with no deal taking place he is set to remain in Vegas.

During his rookie season, Mayer missed three contests and was limited to a total of just 27 receptions. Last April, the Raiders replaced him in the starting lineup with Brock Bowers, a decision which paid immediate dividends. Bowers earned first-team All-Pro acclaim in 2024 and represents a focal point on offense for many years to come.

While Bowers was breaking multiple records last season, Mayer missed six games due to personal reasons. The latter was limited to just 156 yards and failed to score a touchdown. Despite having two years left on his rookie contract, it thus came as little surprise when the new Raiders regime showed a willingness to trade Mayer. While interest was shown, the former second-rounder stayed in place and received plenty of attention during spring practices. The Raiders could have an expanded workload in mind.

“I thought Mike had a great offseason,’ head coach Pete Carroll said (via Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal). “We started out going heart to heart with him to understand what we’re all about. And he embraced it and took it as well as anybody could take the challenge of bringing it day in and day out. He had a great camp.”

Offensive coordinator Chip Kelly has spoken about his affinity for multi-tight end formations, and relying on those would be key in allowing Mayer to see the field in 2025. Vegas has Jakobi Meyers along with Tre Tucker and rookies Jack Bech and Dont’e Thornton in place at the receiver spot. Especially as the younger options at the position develop, though, Bowers and Mayer could be leaned on in the passing game.

The Raiders will have Geno Smith in place under center after reuniting him with Carroll. The team did so while choosing to avoid – among other things – a free agent pursuit of Sam Darnold. Improved play at the quarterback spot could help team’s offense in general and Mayer’s production in particular as he looks to take a step forward in Year 3. A notable workload in tandem with Bowers would certainly go a long way in that regard.

Raiders Shopping TE Michael Mayer, RB Zamir White

March 3rd, 2025 at 2:50pm CST by Ben Levine

MARCH 3: Confirming the Raiders’ interest in pulling off a trade, Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal reports multiple teams have checked in as it pertains to Mayer. A deal could take place as early as next week once the new league year starts, but a trade agreement could be reached at any time before that point.

MARCH 1: While the Raiders’ 2024 campaign offered more disappointments than positives, the team can rest easy knowing they have a foundational piece in rookie Brock Bowers. However, with the tight end establishing himself as one of the best players at his position, the Raiders could now look to trade some of their positional depth.

According to Vic Tafur and Tashan Reed of The Athletic, the Raiders have had trade discussions with teams about tight end Michael Mayer. While the former second-round pick has disappointed during his brief stint in the NFL, there are still teams willing to gamble on the player’s upside.

Drafted as the 35th pick in the 2023 draft, there was initial hope that Mayer would solidify the position for years to come. He somewhat looked the part of a starter as a rookie, finishing with 27 receptions for 304 yards and two scores in 14 games (12 starts). He was knocked down the depth chart last offseason when the Raiders added Bowers, and Mayer later landed on NFI due to undisclosed personal reasons. The 23-year-old ultimately finished his sophomore campaign with 21 catches for 156 yards.

To the Raiders’ credit, they still managed to get Mayer into about 63 percent of their offensive snaps when he was active, so the team’s two tight ends should be able to coexist. Still, as The Athletic notes, the Raiders were expecting a bigger impact from Mayer, and they could look to trade him for assets instead of keeping him around as a backup. With two years remaining on his inexpensive rookie pact, the Raiders probably aren’t feeling a whole lot of urgency, but there should be suitors willing to pull the trigger in an offseason that features an underwhelming TE class.

Mayer isn’t the only former draft pick on the block. According to The Athletic, Zamir White is also believed to be available. The former fourth-round pick showed up as a sophomore when he finished with 549 yards from scrimmage, and White seemed prime to lead the depth chart in 2024 following the departure of Josh Jacobs.

However, the RB failed to establish himself in the Raiders backfield, with the third-year player getting lapped by the likes of Alexander Mattison, Ameer Abdullah, and Sincere McCormick. White finished this past year with 213 yards from scrimmage, and any interested teams would surely be eyeing him as a depth option at this point.

Raiders Activate TE Michael Mayer

November 16th, 2024 at 12:32pm CST by Ben Levine

The Raiders will add some tight end depth for the second half of the season. NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reports that the Raiders have activated tight end Michael Mayer from the non-football injury list.

[RELATED: Raiders TE Michael Mayer Returns To Practice]

Mayer landed on the NFI list in early October due to undisclosed personal reasons and has missed the Raiders’ last six games. The tight end returned to practice earlier this week, and the Raiders are expecting to throw him right into the fire.

“I think there’s obviously an opportunity there for him,” coach Antonio Pierce said (via Vic Tafur of The Athletic). “The more we can get him involved, the better.”

Through the first three weeks of the season, Mayer had appeared in 56 percent of his team’s offensive snaps. Even with the expected emergence of first-round TE Brock Bowers, there should still be a role for the second-year pro in Las Vegas. Mayer looked the part of a potential TE1 as a rookie, finishing the year with 27 catches for 304 yards and two touchdowns. Harrison Bryant and John Samuel Shenker will likely slide down the depth chart with Mayer back in the lineup.

The Raiders made a handful of additional moves in anticipation of tomorrow’s matchup with the Dolphins. The team announced that they’ve waived wideout Alex Bachman, and they also promoted receiver Terrace Marshall and center Will Putnam from the practice squad as standard gameday elevations.

Raiders TE Michael Mayer Returns To Practice

November 12th, 2024 at 5:34pm CST by Ben Levine

Michael Mayer will soon resume his sophomore campaign. The Raiders announced that the second-year tight end returned to practice today. With Mayer having been designated for return, the team will now have 21 days to activate the player to the active roster.

Mayer landed on the non-football injury list in early October due to personal reasons and has missed the Raiders’ last six games. Assuming the tight end doesn’t require an extended ramp-up period, he should be back for Sunday’s matchup with the Dolphins.

The 2023 second-round pick showed flashes as a rookie. In 14 games (12 starts), the Notre Dame product hauled in 27 catches for 304 yards and two touchdowns. With Austin Hooper hitting free agency this past offseason, Mayer had an opportunity to solidify himself as the team’s long-term answer at the position. Unfortunately for the player, the Raiders used a first-round pick on Brock Bowers, meaning Mayer will be locked in as a backup for the foreseeable future.

Still, that doesn’t mean Mayer will go unused in Las Vegas. Before landing on NFI, the tight end was getting into more than 50 percent of his team’s offense snaps, and although Bowers has seen his snap count increase throughout the season, there’s a good chance the Raiders go back to a similar arrangement for the stretch run of the season. With Mayer out of the lineup, the Raiders have turned to the likes of Harrison Bryant and John Samuel Shenker to soak up leftover snaps at the position.

Antonio Pierce: Luke Getsy’s Play-Calling Needs Improvement

October 31st, 2024 at 11:07pm CST by Sam Robinson

Luke Getsy came to the Raiders after the team’s negotiations with Kliff Kingsbury broke down. Eventually pivoting to a Commanders offer (with some help from minority Commanders owner Magic Johnson), Kingsbury sought a three-year deal from the Raiders, who were offering a two-year pact.

The Raiders circled back to Getsy, who had received interest for official and unofficial (in the Jets’ unique case, which also involved Kingsbury) OC jobs following his Bears firing. Getsy has seen the Raiders change quarterbacks and the latest preferred starter (Aidan O’Connell) go down with an injury. The Raiders have also traded their top offensive player, unloading a disgruntled Davante Adams. As could be expected, Las Vegas is struggling on that side of the ball.

Las Vegas ranks 26th in scoring (18 points per game) and 28th in total yardage. DVOA slots Getsy’s offense in that neighborhood, measuring it 27th through eight games. Although Antonio Pierce is not contemplating a change, the Raiders HC took aim at his play-caller amid a four-game skid.

“It has to get better,” Pierce said of Getsy’s play-calling, via the Las Vegas Review-Journal’s Vincent Bonsignore. “… There’s been a lot of opportunities for us to score points and make opportunities. And, yeah, that’s on the play-caller. It does start with the coordinator. He’s got to be the one that takes the fall for that and gets most of the blame. But it is collective.”

Pierce further couched that assessment by saying the team’s struggles are “on all of us,” but this situation will be one of the many to monitor moving forward. The Raiders have not scored more than 20 points since Week 3, when the Panthers stampeded to their only win of the season (after a bounce-back 2023, Patrick Graham‘s defense ranks 27th in points and 23rd in DVOA). The Raiders rank 31st in rushing yards, as their post-Josh Jacobs period has not started well.

Las Vegas let Jacobs walk, not submitting an offer in the ballpark of a four-year, $48MM Packers deal that included just $13.5MM guaranteed at signing. The Raiders instead added Alexander Mattison to play behind Zamir White, adding the ex-Vikings Dalvin Cook replacement on a one-year, $2MM deal. Neither White nor Mattison has impressed, respectively sporting 3.0 and 3.2 per-carry averages. Pro Football Focus ranks the Raiders’ O-line 18th.

The Raiders have seen Brock Bowers become their runaway lead target but would-be sidekick Michael Mayer, whom the team traded up for early in the 2023 second round, land on the reserve/NFI list. Pierce said earlier this month Mayer is dealing with “personal stuff” and did not have a return timetable. Jakobi Meyers, who has landed in trade rumors, leads Raiders wide receivers with 325 yards. Adams contributed just three games to the Raiders’ cause, going down with a hamstring injury. The team viewed Adams as slow-playing his return amid trade uncertainty.

Getsy drew some iffy hands with the Bears as well, with Justin Fields not establishing consistency as a passer. He now looks to be in a worse situation, as the Raiders remain in search of their next franchise QB and appear to be considering moving Meyers after trading Adams. How the team’s second half unfolds will affect Pierce’s future, and Getsy’s will certainly be tied to it.

Raiders Place TE Michael Mayer On NFI List

October 11th, 2024 at 4:41pm CST by Adam La Rose

Brock Bowers has enjoyed a strong start to the 2024 season, but his fellow Raiders tight end will be absent for an extended period. Michael Mayer was placed on the reserve/non-football injury list Friday, per a team announcement.

As a result of the move, Mayer will be sidelined for at least the next four games. Specifics on his situation are not yet known, but it was announced a personal matter is the cause for today’s transaction. The 23-year-old suited up for Vegas’ first three games, but he has been absent ever since.

Viewed as one of the top prospects at his position in the 2023 draft class, Mayer was selected early in the second round. That led to high expectations, and he flashed potential with 304 yards and a pair of touchdowns on 27 receptions during his rookie campaign. Known more for his well-rounder skillset than his pass-catching upside, Mayer was joined this offseason by Bowers. One of the most celebrated rookie tight ends in recent memory, the latter – selected 13th overall in April – has already racked up 28 receptions for 313 yards and one score.

Bowers will continue to be leaned on in the passing game moving forward, especially with Davante Adams absent. A deal sending the All-Pro wideout continues to be negotiated, and Bowers could soon stand alone as Vergas’ top target on offense. Week 6 will see Aidan O’Connell start at quarterback after Gardner Minshew struggled in Sunday’s loss to the Broncnos.

O’Connell will be at the helm of a shorthanded offense, though, with Adams out of the fold and Mayer set to miss extended period. Bringing the Notre Dame product back into the fold will give Bowers a notable complement at the TE spot, but it remains to be seen when that will take place.

Minor NFL Transactions: 1/6/24

January 6th, 2024 at 8:33pm CST by Ely Allen

The last week of pregame transactions and gameday callups for several teams this season:

Arizona Cardinals

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers

Cincinnati Bengals

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

  • Placed on IR: T Mike McGlinchey
  • Activated from IR: T Alex Palczewski
  • Signed to active roster: CB Art Green
  • Elevated: S Devon Key

Detroit Lions

Houston Texans

Jacksonville Jaguars

Kansas City Chiefs

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Rams

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

  • Placed on IR: TE Hunter Henry
  • Signed to active roster: TE La’Michael Pettway
  • Elevated: TE Matt Sokol, OL Andrew Stueber

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

Philadelphia Eagles

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Tennessee Titans

Washington Commanders

Several teams whose season is set to come to an end tomorrow have elected to move injured players to injured reserve in order to create roster spots for practice squad options, particularly those who have had their three gameday elevations exhausted. In the case of the Broncos, McGlinchey will see his debut campaign in the Mile High City come to a premature end. Signed to a five-year, $87.5MM deal, the 28-year-old was part of a revamped O-line which did not produce the desired rebound on offense. Manning his usual right tackle spot, McGlinchey was charged with eight sacks and 49 pressures allowed by PFF, resulting in an overall grade of 67.5.

While the Giants will have an interesting decision to make with respect to Xavier McKinney‘s future, they will have Pinnock on the books for at least one more season. The latter’s rookie contract is set to expire following the 2024 campaign, one in which he will no doubt remain a vital member of New York’s secondary. Pinnock has recorded 85 tackles, two interceptions (including a 102-yard pick-six), six pass deflections and a pair of forced fumbles while logging over 1,000 defensive snaps this season. A return to health and a continuation of his 2023 level of play will be sorely needed next fall.

Raiders Sign Second-Round TE Michael Mayer

June 14th, 2023 at 7:49pm CST by Ely Allen

The Raiders came one step closer to completing the signing of their 2023 rookie class today, announcing the signing of former Notre Dame tight end Michael Mayer, whom they drafted in the second round of this year’s draft.

After being named a Freshman All-American in 2020, Mayer followed his first college season up with two more stellar performances. In his final year with the Fighting Irish, Mayer was named a first-team All-American after leading all FBS tight ends with nine touchdown catches. He was the only FBS tight end to eclipse 800 receiving yards in each of the past two years, as well.

For much of the pre-draft process, Mayer was considered the top tight end on the board. While others may have projected higher as a large pass catcher, Mayer was easily viewed as the most well-rounded tight end prospect. Instead, he slid slightly down the board into the second round as the third tight end drafted, following Utah’s Dalton Kincaid (1st round, 25th pick by Buffalo) and Iowa’s Sam LaPorta (2nd round, 34th pick by Detroit).

Over his three years in South Bend, Mayer set program records for a tight end in receptions (180), receiving yards (2,099), and receiving touchdowns (18). With such recent successes as Kyle Rudolph, Tyler Eifert, Cole Kmet, and several others coming out of Notre Dame, that’s no small feat. Mayer is set to add to a tight end alumni group that rivals the success of schools like Iowa and Miami (FL).

In Las Vegas, Mayer should have a bit of time to adjust to the speed of the NFL game. The Raiders currently roster two experienced veterans in Austin Hooper and O.J. Howard, whom, together, can easily hold down the position until Mayer is NFL-ready. That’s if he needs any time at all. Given how quickly Mayer adjusted and became a major contributor at the college level, Mayer may be pushing for snaps by the season opener.

With Mayer’s contract in the books, the Raiders have signed eight of their nine draft selections. Only fourth-round Maryland cornerback Jakorian Bennett remains unsigned in Las Vegas’s rookie class.

Cardinals Made Offer For Raiders’ No. 7 Overall Pick

May 2nd, 2023 at 8:47pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Cardinals made three trades during the draft’s first 33 picks, moving down twice and climbing up to land Paris Johnson. The middle trade came together late, with the Cardinals’ late offer evidently stopping the Lions from making a shocking pick — Jahmyr Gibbs at No. 6 overall.

Before GM Monti Ossenfort made a successful trade proposal to Detroit counterpart Brad Holmes, the rookie Arizona front office boss made an offer to the Raiders. The GMs discussed the No. 7 overall pick in a deal that would have moved the Raiders down to No. 12, NBC Sports’ Peter King reports. Arizona’s proposal would have sent Las Vegas the No. 33 overall pick, it appears, which would have given the Raiders three picks between Nos. 12 and 38.

Although the Raiders met with this draft class’ top five quarterbacks, Josh McDaniels said just before the draft (per King, granted war-room access) the Raiders had four non-quarterback prospects targeted at No. 7, but the team mulled the Cardinals’ offer for the pick. As McDaniels and GM Dave Ziegler considered the move down to 12, the Cardinals ended up making the trade with the Lions.

The Raiders ended up with Texas Tech defensive end Tyree Wilson at 7, but King adds McDaniels pondered the prospect of the team adding draft capital and then selecting Oklahoma tackle Anton Harrison at No. 12. The Raiders were high on both Harrison and Johnson, which makes the draft route they ended up taking rather interesting. Not only did the Silver and Black not select a tackle over the weekend, they did not draft any offensive linemen. Harrison ended up 27th overall to the Jaguars.

Vegas made a move up at No. 35 to select Notre Dame tight end Michael Mayer, and by the time Round 3 ended, the Raiders had added both Mayer and wide receiver Tre Tucker. (The Raiders had attempted to trade back into Round 1 with Mayer in mind, per King, who adds the Chiefs discussed No. 31 with their rivals briefly.) They have now used two premium picks on pass catchers and gave Jakobi Meyers $16MM fully guaranteed. As of now, the Raiders would be set to field an offensive line consisting entirely of players on the 2022 roster. Though, the team did re-sign Brandon Parker, a tackle who missed last season due to injury. While considerable doubt existed about the Raiders’ O-line going into last season, the blockers helped Josh Jacobs become the first Raider to win the rushing title since Marcus Allen in 1985. Pro Football Focus rated Las Vegas’ O-line 10th last season, though McDaniels’ Harrison reference points to the team targeting that position.

Regarding the player the Raiders took in Round 1, teams voiced concerns regarding the talented pass rusher’s injury past. The Raiders are one of the teams to clear Wilson medically, Ziegler confirmed, joining the Cardinals and Texans (likely among others). Not all teams cleared the former Big 12 standout. Several teams said, via the Washington Post’s Jason La Canfora, they would not have taken Wilson due to the Lisfranc fracture that ended his senior Red Raiders season. Wilson, who also dealt with back trouble last year, needed two surgeries to repair the fracture.

“Our board was right. We needed three quarterbacks to go, and we’re so happy we got one of the four non-quarterbacks who were our top-rated guys on the board,” McDaniels said (via King) in the war room after the team chose Wilson. “Look, we gotta rush the passer. We gotta go get [Patrick] Mahomes and [Justin] Herbert. That’s four games a year for the next few years against these great young quarterbacks. And the AFC is full of these great young quarterbacks. This is a great outcome for us.”

The Raiders have Maxx Crosby signed long term, and while Chandler Jones‘ $17MM-per-year deal runs through 2024, it is certainly possible the team moves on from the former All-Pro after this season. Jones’ guarantees only cover this season. Wilson will mix in with the veterans this season but could be Crosby’s top bookend soon.

Load More Posts