The Las Vegas Raiders‘ season hasn’t gone according to plan through six games. The offense was supposed to be the team’s strength, but the defense is to thank for their two wins.
A major reason why the offense is struggling has been due to star tight end Brock Bowers suffering a knee injury in Week 1. He wasn’t the same after getting hurt, but the Raiders didn’t make the decision to hold him out of games until Week 5.
To make matters worse, Michael Mayer also had to miss time with a concussion. He returned to the field in Week 6 against the Tennessee Titans and had five catches for 50 yards and a touchdown. Mayer was drafted to be a starting tight end, but plans changed when Bowers fell into the Raiders’ lap.
With Bowers out, Mayer is finally getting a chance to show that he is a No. 1 tight end in the NFL. The Raiders have a huge game against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 7, and Bowers offered some praise for Mayer ahead of the game.
“It was great to see him go out there and play,” Bowers told Heavy Sports. “I was excited for him, especially him coming back after his concussion and stuff. Him being able to come out there and play like he can and play like he has been playing is just really cool to see.”
Pete Carroll Is Very High on Mayer
The Raiders are very fortunate to have another starting-caliber tight end with Bowers being hurt. Mayer’s first two seasons had some ups and downs due to injuries and personal issues, but he’s done nothing but impress the coaching staff this offseason.
Head coach Pete Carroll thinks very highly of Mayer.
“He showed us. He’s shown us that through camp and all that,” Carroll said, via Raiders.com. “Mike’s had a great run since we’ve been here. He’s looked terrific. And when he and Brock are out there and Ian [Thomas] filling in, it’s a great group.”
Mayer Is Confident in His Abilities
Mayer was widely expected to be a first-round pick in 2023, but fell to the Raiders in the early second round. Many thought he would take the league by storm, but it’s been a longer process.
Even through the lows, Mayer has remained confident in what he can do on the football field.
“No matter what happens on that field, I feel I have value no matter what,” Mayer said. “I have confidence in myself, but at the end of the day, you want to see it come to fruition. You want to see it out there on the field happening. And when you see it out on the field happening, you just build confidence from that.
“It just builds until you’re out there playing free, you’re just out there having fun. And I feel like that’s the point I’m at right now. I’m having a lot of fun playing football and I’m just out there trying to enjoy myself, trying to help this team win as much as I can.”
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This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
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