NFL Trade Rumors: Raiders' Michael Mayer Discussed by Teams Ahead of 2025 Free Agency

After the emergence of rookie tight end Brock Bowers in 2024, the Las Vegas Raiders have reportedly been fielding trade calls focused on tight end Michael Mayer.

According to Vic Tafur and Tashan Reed of The Athletic, interested teams have reached out to the Raiders about Mayer, and they have engaged in discussions.

Following a strong collegiate career at Notre Dame during which he recorded 180 receptions for 2,099 yards and 18 touchdowns over three seasons, Mayer went 35th overall to the Raiders in the second round of the 2023 NFL draft.

Mayer didn't make a sizable impact as a rookie, registering 27 receptions for 304 yards and two touchdowns.

Despite his limited production, it was somewhat surprising when the Raiders made another significant investment in a tight end by taking Bowers with the No. 13 overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft.

That decision turned out to be a great one by the Vegas front office, as Bowers enjoyed one of the greatest rookie seasons by a tight end in NFL history.

Bowers finished with 112 catches for 1,194 yards and five touchdowns, earning him Pro Bowl and First Team All-Pro honors. He also finished second in Offensive Rookie of the Year voting behind only Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels.

Most impressively, Bowers achieved that statistical output despite a ton of turmoil at the quarterback position, as Gardner Minshew, Aidan O'Connell and Desmond Ridder all started games, and none of them performed consistently.

Bowers dominating the targets meant that Mayer had to fade further into the background, and it resulted in even worse numbers than his rookie campaign, as he recorded 21 grabs for 156 yards and no touchdowns.

Mayer missing six games due to personal reasons last season contributed to the dip in production as well, but he wasn't a big part of the offense even when he was active.

Given that he is still just 23 years of age and under contract at a low cap number for the next two seasons, it makes sense why teams are targeting Mayer as a buy-low candidate.

From the Raiders' perspective, they must weigh whether the return they can get for Mayer at this point is more valuable than having a quality No. 2 tight end behind Bowers.