Tag: Michael Mayer

Is Michael Mayer playing today? Injury updates for Raiders TE

Raiders TE Michael Mayer has been dealing with an illness. Here are the latest updates.

Three games into this season, second-year tight end Michael Mayer left the team for personal reasons. The 2023 round two pick was later placed on the NFI list which is where he’d been the past four games. He returned to practice this week with the team coming out of their bye week.

TE Michael Mayer injury update

Michael Mayer was officially activated from the Non-Football Illness list Saturday and will play today in Miami.

Earlier this week head coach Antonio Pierce had expressed his excitement that ‘Big Mike” had returned to practice. On Friday, he added that Mayer was “trending up” in terms of the likelihood he would play this week.

“He’ss always been a part of the plan first and foremost,” Pierce continued. “But obviously with losing people through injuries or trades, I think there’s obviously an opportunity there for him. But really, I think just getting him back to par with our team, obviously new offensive coordinator there with Scott Turner and just getting back in the fold, you want to be smart with it. You want to be smart. But obviously Mike is a big part of our plans this year, this week and the future. So, the more we can get him involved, the better.”

Tight end depth chart

Mayer will be the second tight end for the Raiders along with top pick rookie Brock Bowers. Which means the two could both start the game, but Bowers should get the bulk of the snaps and targets.

Harrison Bryant will not play, which means the third tight end will be recent practice squad callup Justin Shorter.

Mayer has appeared in just three games this season, putting up four catches for 21 yards before leaving the team for personal reasons. The Raiders are hoping he’s fully ready to go for the latter half of the season, starting with today vs the Dolphins.

Raiders officially activate TE Michael Mayer from NFI ahead of Week 11 matchup with Dolphins

Tight end Michael Mayer is ready to go for the Raiders as they prepare to face the Dolphins for week 11.

It’s official; Michael Mayer is back. The 2023 second round pick had been on the Non-Football Illness list the past four weeks and hadn’t played since Week three. And today the team officially activated him, making him available for their week 11 game Sunday in Miami.

Earlier this week head coach Antonio Pierce had expressed his excitement that ‘Big Mike” had returned to practice. On Friday, he added that Mayer was “trending up” in terms of the likelihood he would play this week.

“He’ss always been a part of the plan first and foremost,” Pierce continued. “But obviously with losing people through injuries or trades, I think there’s obviously an opportunity there for him. But really, I think just getting him back to par with our team, obviously new offensive coordinator there with Scott Turner and just getting back in the fold, you want to be smart with it. You want to be smart. But obviously Mike is a big part of our plans this year, this week and the future. So, the more we can get him involved, the better.”

Those plans were to deploy a lot of two-tight end sets alongside top pick rookie Brock Bowers. And while Bowers had put up record numbers this season, Mayer had just four catches for 21 yards before leaving the team for personal reasons.

The Raiders are hoping he’s back and ready to go for the latter half of the season, starting with the Dolphins on Sunday.

In a corresponding move, the Raiders waived WR Alex Bachman.

Raiders vs Dolphins final injury report: Latest updates, news for Week 11

All the latest updates and news on Raiders injury report ahead of a Week 11 game vs. Dolphins.

Friday’s final injury report gave us some clarity on just whose chances of playing on Sunday when the Raiders take on the Dolphins in Miami went up or down.

Raiders, Dolphins injury report

TE Harrison Bryant injury update

After returning to practice Thursday, Bryant (ankle) was missing again on Friday and has been officially ruled OUT for Sunday’s game.

TE Michael Mayer update

Mayer is coming off the Non-Football Illness list. Antonio Pierce said he’s trending toward playing, but wanted to be careful with him. He’s officially Questionable and with Bryant OUT, they could certainly use Mayer in this one.

C Andre James injury update

James (ankle) has officially been ruled OUT. Jackson Powers-Johnson has been named the starting center for week 11,

CB Nate Hobbs injury update

Hobbs was carted off the field in Cincinnati just before the bye with an ankle injury. He has officially been ruled OUT. Raiders figure to start Darnay Holmes in his place.

G Cody Whitehair injury update

Whitehair also went down with an ankle injury in Cincinnati. He has been officially ruled OUT for the game. He will be replaced by former starting right guard Dylan Parham who was the team’s starting left guard the previous two seasons.

Raiders TE Michael Mayer discusses return from NFI absence: ‘I’m on my feet again’

Michael Mayer is coming off the NFI list for personal reasons. He spoke to the media and is expected to return this week vs the Dolphins.

This week Michael Mayer set foot in the Raiders facility for the first time since their home opener in week three. He has been missing since then, first with an illness designation and ultimately was placed on the Non-Football Illness list.

His absence has been labeled as simply personal reasons and his privacy respected by the league and the team. His head coach was certainly glad to have him back in the fold.

“Excited, man. It was good to see Big Mike back, man,” said Antonio Pierce. “He looked good, had a little tan, so I don’t know where he was at, but he was hanging out somewhere good. But he looked good, man. He’s in shape, he stayed out here this entire bye week working out, getting himself back into football shape and around the team, around the building. And then, obviously, when we got together yesterday, everybody’s excited, you heard a lot of knocking. But in the end, it’s just business as usual, that’s what Mike’s about, business.”

With Mayer’s return, he spoke with the media after practice where he told reporters on hand he spent some of his time away back home in Cincinnati, but would not elaborate on the reasons he needed his time away.

He did have some wise words to share about his mental and emotional state and how he’s recovered and ready to go.

Pierce seemed to suggest that Mayer will not need any ramp up period outside of the bye week the team just came out of, which would mean Mayer is expected to play Sunday in Miami.

Mayer is expected to provide a boost as the number two tight end along with rookie top pick Brock Bowers.

Someday maybe we’ll get a full explanation from Michael Mayer as to what he has been through the past couple months that caused him to be absent from the team. But that will, and must be, on his terms.

Raiders see return of starting TE ahead of Week 11 matchup vs Dolphins

Michael Mayer missed the past six games for personal reasons. He returned to practice ahead of the Raiders Week 11 matchup vs the Dolphins.

Michael Mayer was supposed to be the second part of a potent 1-2 punch at tight end for the Raiders this season. That plan hit a snag when three weeks into the season, Mayer began missing practices for personal reasons. And after a couple weeks away from the team, he was placed on the Non-Football illness list.

Today, as the team gears up for their first game out of their bye week, Mayer returned to the practice field. His return to practice opens a 21-day window for him to come off the NFI list and return to the field.

Mayer came into the 2023 draft considered by some to be the best tight end in that draft. He would be still available at the top of the second round, causing the Raiders to trade up to 35 overall to get him. A move many believed was a steal.

His rookie season didn’t quite live up to the billing as one of the draft’s top tight ends. Then come this year’s draft, when the Raiders were set to make their pick at 13 overall, Georgia TE Brock Bowers was still available as the best overall player on the board, so they took him. Prompting head coach Antonio Pierce to give Mayer a call to reassure him he was part of the plan.

Bowers stepped into the number one tight end role, with the hopes that he and Mayer would make for one of the better TE duos in the league. Though three games, Bowers was putting up historic numbers while Mayer had just four catches for 21 yards.

Whatever the reason for Mayer’s prolonged absence, hopefully he’s got himself right again and can begin to contribute to the offense in the fashion the Raiders had hoped to see from him.

When might we see TE Michael Mayer return for Raiders?

Raiders TE Michael Mayer has been on the team’s Non-football Illness list the past three weeks and could soon return.

One of the stranger things that’s happened with the Raiders this season has been the absence of second year tight end Michael Mayer from the team. The former 35th overall pick showed up on the injury report Week four for what was being called personal reasons. And never returned.

On October 12, the team placed Mayer on the Non-football Illness list, which meant he would be out for at least four weeks.

That means this week’s game in Cincinnati would be the last he would have to miss, should be ready to return from whatever was causing him to miss time. Antonio Pierce gave an update Wednesday on Mayer’s potential return.

“I think we’re getting close,” Pierce said of Mayer. “I do think we’re getting close.”

The Raiders have a bye week following this week’s game, which would seem like an opportune time for Mayer to work his way back onto the field. The first game he’s be able to play in is the team’s Week 11 game in Miami on November 17.

Raiders place former 2nd round pick TE Michael Mayer on Non-football illness list

After missing the past two weeks for personal reasons, Raiders TE Michael Mayer officially lands on the Non-football illness list

With each week that passed by this season that Michael Mayer was ruled OUT for personal reasons, it got more and more concerning as to what was going on with him.

The 2023 Round two pick (35 overall) was supposed to give the Raiders a dominant 1-2 punch at the tight end spot along with rookie 13th overall pick Brock Bowers. But following the team’s Week 3 loss to the Panthers, he was suddenly missing practices for personal reasons and has was ruled OUT for his third straight game as a result.

No word has been given as to what the issue is with Mayer. It’s personal which can mean any number of things. But for the Raiders, it means he will miss at least the next four games.

Mayer’s absence was one of several strange occurrences with the team that week. You may recall it was the postgame press conference following that Panthers loss that had Antonio Pierce saying some players were making business decisions.

That week, in preparations for the Browns, Mayer didn’t practice and was ruled OUT, Davante Adams had his hamstring issue and was ruled OUT followed by his trade request day after the game, Maxx Crosby missed the first game of his career with a high ankle sprain, and Jack Jones was benched for the first half.

Raiders, Steelers Week 6 injury report: LB Divine Deablo FULL go, in line to start

LB Divine Deablo FULL go, in line to start Week 6 vs Steelers

A mixed bag for the Raiders on their Wednesday injury report. First and foremost, they placed start defensive tackle Christian Wilkins on injured reserve, which is why you won’t see him here. But they also had linebacker Divine Deablo as a full participant for the first time since Week two.

Among those missing from practice Wednesday were WR Davante Adams (hamstrong), DE Maxx Crosby (ankle), TE Michael Mayer (personal), WR Jakobi Meyers (ankle), T Kolton Miller (knee/shoulder), G Jackson Powers-Johnson (knee), and RB Zamir White (groin).

Those missing due to injury for the Steelers included S Domontae Kazee (ankle), LB Nick Herbig (hamstring), LB Alex Highsmith (groin), and WR/KR Cordarrelle Patterson (ankle).

Raiders, Broncos Week 5 injury report: Raiders already long injury list grows longer

Raiders already long injury list grows longer

Funny how the Raiders can get a player back at practice, but the number of those missing from practice actually grew. That’s because while they got Kolton Miller back at practice, RB Zamir White is now down with a groin injury, as is LB Luke Masterson with a knee injury

Everyone else who missed practice due to injury on Wednesday was still missing Thursday.

Masteron was replacing Divine Deablo who is still missing with an oblique injuty. Which means if neither of them can go, the Raiders would have to dig even deeper into their linebacker depth chart.

Zamir White had been the team’s feature back the past four weeks, but was expected to see his snaps decrease in favor of Alexander Mattison.

Others still not practicing for the Raiders include starters WR Davante Adams (hamstring), TE Michael Mayer (personal), T Kolton Miller (knee/shoulder), T Thayer Munford, G Dylan Parham (Achilles), and DE Maxx Crosby (ankle).

Raiders, Broncos Week 5 injury report: Maxx Crosby among 8 Raiders starters missing

Maxx Crosby, Kolton Miller among 8 Raiders starters who missed practice Wednesday

Quite an injury report for the Raiders heading into Week five for the Raiders. In total they were missing ten players, eight of whom are starters.

Among those not practicing for the Raiders are starters WR Davante Adams (hamstring), TE Michael Mayer (personal), T Kolton Miller (knee/shoulder), T Thayer Munford, G Dylan Parham (Achilles), DE Maxx Crosby (ankle), and LB Divine Deablo (oblique).

Limited were RB Zamir White (groin), LB Luke Masterson (knee), and S Isaiah Pola-Mao (personal).

Several of these players missed Sunday’s game against the Browns including Adams, Mayer, Munford, Crosy, and Deablo.