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The Las Vegas Raiders have their second tight end locked up for the foreseeable future.
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The team announced an extension with fourth-year tight end Michael Mayer on Saturday morning, a year before he was expected to hit free agency. The deal is for three years and is worth up to $45 million, with $30 million guaranteed.
Mayer, a former second-round pick from Notre Dame selected in the 2023 NFL Draft, hasn’t been the dynamic tight end the team expected him to be when they drafted him, but he has filled in nicely as a complement to Brock Bowers.
Tight ends are at a premium in the NFL these days, as many offenses like to use 12 personnel to diversify their schemes. Klint Kubiak’s offense is no different, and giving opposing defenses Bowers and Mayer poses the potential for several plays.
Besides Mayer himself, who benefits most from the tight end’s contract extension?
Brock Bowers
The Raiders’ top offensive weapon will be in for a massive payday once he’s ready to head to the negotiation table.
Mayer earned a contract of up to $15 million per year, and with Bowers as the team’s top tight end and one of the best in the league at his position, he could be in line for $25 million or more. Considering how the tight end market has moved, this is not out of the realm of possibility.
Expect a major contract extension for Bowers, likely next year. The team knows how important he is to its future, and they’ll pay him like it.
Ashton Jeanty
The Raiders can throw the ball with their tight ends, but they will also be able to run, especially with Mayer in the game as a blocker. Jeanty should love that.
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Mayer, at 6-foot-4 and 256 pounds, can clear out space and allow Jeanty to stretch runs to the outside. Kubiak wants to run the football, and they should be able to now with Mayer in line for the next three years.
Like Bowers, Jeanty is central to what the Raiders want to do offensively, and having the blocking necessary to have an efficient ground game will remain in Las Vegas for years.
John Spytek
It speaks to who you are as an executive when you extend players who may not look like difference-makers on the stat sheet but make a difference to the eye test.
Spytek didn’t draft Mayer, but he knows how important he is to what the Raiders want to do on offense. He may have had to overpay relative to Mayer’s production, but the team is not cash-poor, so the contract isn’t detrimental to the Raiders’ offense.
The league is looking for two tight ends, but the Raiders won’t have to worry about that for a long time. Spytek made a smart move by locking up Mayer and allowing himself to focus on other positions next offseason.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/raiders/onsi as Biggest Raiders Winners From Michael Mayer Extension.
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This story was originally published September 13, 2026 at 6:30 AM.