The 2023 season was a wild one from the perspective of a Las Vegas Raiders fan. The team had a rough start to the season, which led to the firing of a coach. However, there seemed to be a revival when Antonio Pierce took over. Under Pierce’s leadership, several players stepped up with strong performances, enabling the team to win enough games to secure Pierce the official head coaching position for the following offseason. One player who stood out during this time was Michael Mayer.
Mayer did not have the same immediate impact as Brock Bowers did in the previous season. But he did put together a quality rookie season, highlighted by a few outstanding moments. However, he wasn’t able to build off that going forward. Las Vegas selected a player at his position in the first round the next year in Brock Bowers, so Mayer’s opportunities immediately decreased.
Mayer also took some time away for personal reasons. Upon returning to the team, he didn’t contribute much as the season wound down, which is understandable given the significant time he missed due to his personal circumstances. However, this situation raises some questions about his role in 2025.
What can we expect from Mayer in the future?
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How did things go in 2024?
Mayer played in 11 total games and started eight of them. However, his numbers weren’t great.
His decrease in targets and receptions wasn’t notably big. He had 32 targets, just eight less than his rookie year. And his 21 receptions were just six less than his rookie season. Where he did take a bit of a dip is his efficiency with those receptions. After averaging 11.3 yards per catch in 2023, Mayer was only able to manage 7.4 in 2024. As a result, he recorded just 156 receiving yards on the year, after racking up 306 in his rookie season.
However, we must consider the quarterback play when evaluating just about any Raiders’ pass-catcher over the past couple of years. When he was on the field, Mayer was never playing with a high-level quarterback, certainly not one close to the caliber of Geno Smith.
Additionally, Mayer was dealing with the previously mentioned personal issues. He missed six games, so it must have been significant. Playing with something like that on his mind couldn’t have been beneficial.
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What does 2025 have in store for Michael Mayer?
Chip Kelly, the Raiders’ offensive coordinator, uses tight ends in unique ways. For Bowers, don’t be surprised if he lines up out wide more often. He occasionally lined up out wide under Luke Getsy’s offense in 2024, but given his skill set, it is anticipated that Kelly will utilize him in that position more frequently. This arrangement is odd for tight ends, but it may give Mayer a chance to make an impact.
The Raiders have considerable depth at receiver, but most of the players are young and unproven. This situation may lead to Bowers lining up wide more often, at least at the beginning of the season. The more time Bowers spends at receiver, the greater the opportunities for Mayer to position himself near the line of scrimmage, which aligns better with his playing style.
These factors, along with a more open-minded offensive coordinator and a quarterback who can consistently deliver the ball to him, all work in Mayer’s favor. I’d expect him to look closer to the version we saw in 2023 than anything else, if he can get a full season in. However, his teammates around him could affect the number of chances he gets. Bowers will get more looks at tight end, and if either Jack Bech or Dont’e Thornton starts the year well, things just might be too crowded.
Prediction…
I believe Mayer will have the best statistical season of his career in 2025. He will benefit from better quarterback play and is part of what should be a more dynamic offense. Although he isn’t one of the primary options on the team, he won’t dominate the stat sheet. Nevertheless, he could finish with around 400 yards, or even more if everything goes well.
*Top Photo: Getty Images