Raiders Extend Michael Mayer, Reportedly Make Him One Of Nfl's Highest-paid Tes With 3-year, $45 Million Deal

With Brock Bowers currently sidelined as he recovers from a meniscus trim surgery, increased attention will be on fellow Las Vegas Raiders tight end Michael Mayer. The 25-year-old Notre Dame product is now reportedly among the highest-paid players at the position in the NFL.

The Raiders announced Saturday that they've signed the 2023 second-round pick to a multiyear extension.

That new deal spans three years and is worth $45 million, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, who noted the contract comes with $30 million guaranteed.

Mayer will reportedly be making $15 million per year in average annual value (AAV). The only tight ends earning more in AAV right now are George Kittle of the San Francisco 49ers ($19.1 million AAV), Trey McBride of the Arizona Cardinals ($19 million AAV), Tucker Kraft of the Green Bay Packers ($18.8 million) and Kyle Pitts of the Atlanta Falcons ($17.7 AAV), per Over the Cap and the reports that surfaced about Kraft's new extension Saturday.

Wide receiver Hunter Renfrow was the last player the Raiders extended on a rookie deal, per Rapoport, and that was in 2022. Plus, according to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, Mayer's contract marks the largest three-year extension for a tight end.

In three seasons with the team, Mayer has amassed 83 receptions, 788 receiving yards and 3 receiving touchdowns. But he brings more to the field than just a pair of timely hands. The 6-foot-4, 256-pounder is frequently deployed as a blocker. And in a league that's featuring more and more tight end-heavy packages, Mayer's use in that capacity will continue to come in handy, especially for an offensive-minded head coach like Klint Kubiak.

It looks as though Mayer and Bowers will be paired together in Vegas for the long haul, although that vision depends on the Raiders getting Bowers healthier and, ultimately, extending him beyond his rookie contract.

Bowers, the 2024 No. 13 overall pick of Georgia, ascended to first-team All-Pro status as a rookie. He stacked 1,194 receiving yards and five receiving touchdowns that season. Last season, though, he missed five games due to a PCL injury and bone bruise in his left knee.

Bowers, 23, is expected to miss "a game or two" at the start of the 2026 campaign following the meniscus trim he received after getting banged up "a little in camp," Rapoport and ESPN's Adam Schefter reported earlier this week.

Last season in Bowers' absence, Mayer stepped up in the receiving game. He also scored a touchdown in the Raiders' preseason opener this year.