MichaelMayer

News: 1 day agoThe Raiders designated Mayer (personal) to return from the reserve/non-football illness list Tuesday.

Spin: Mayer didn't appear in any of Las Vegas' last six games while he was away from the team tending to a personal matter, but he's ready to resume practicing coming out of the Raiders' Week 10 bye. Though he's not returning from an injury, Mayer could need some time to get himself back in football shape following the lengthy layoff, so he may not be a lock to suit up in Sunday's game against the Dolphins. Whenever he's cleared for game action, Mayer will reprise his duties as the Raiders' No. 2 tight end, though that may not lead to much usage behind standout rookie Brock Bowers.

ESPN Fantasy Projection: The learning curve for tight ends at the NFL level can be lengthy, and Mayer's 2023 was representative of that. He began playing sparingly behind Austin Hooper, but over his final nine games, he played 82% of the Raiders' offensive snaps, averaged 21.8 routes, 3.9 targets and 6.9 fantasy points per game, before a toe issue cost him the season's final three weeks. That might have been a stepping stone to bigger things for Mayer, until the team added free agent Harrison Bryant, then drafted Brock Bowers 13th overall in April, greatly clouding the sophomore's 2024 outlook. On a skills basis, Mayer possesses plenty of upside, but he might need a change of scenery to claim the playing time needed to be fantasy-relevant.