Tag: non-football illness list

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.

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 sign DE Isaac Rochell after Chandler Jones placed on NFI list

With Chandler Jones on the NFI list, the Raiders have signed DE Isaac Rochell to the active roster

After Chandler Jones missed the first two games of the season while he works through some personal issues, the Raiders pulled the trigger this week and placed him on the Non-Football Illness list.

Placement on NFI means Jones will miss at least four games. With a roster spot open and depth issues at defensive end, the Raiders officially signed Isaac Rochell to the active roster.

Rochell spent the offseason with the team, and impressed in camp and preseason. He was signed to the practice squad and elevated for the first two games of the season to replace Jones. Now with Jones officially out, Rochell is officially in.

To fill Rochell’s spot on the practice squad, the Raiders added LB Mykal Walker.

Raiders placing DE Chandler Jones on Non-Football Illness list, not ruling out return

Chandler Jones has been placed on the Non-Football Illness list. The Raiders are not ruling out a return at some point.

It’s been a while since we saw Chandler Jones on the field for the Raiders. Whether that be on the practice field or the game field. And there are no indications we will see him anytime soon.

Where we have seen him quite a bit is on his social media platforms. Railing about being “provoked” and kept away from the team facility by the team. And for reasons that don’t bear repeating because, frankly, there is nothing about it that seems credible. Rather they come off as the rantings of someone who is suffering from a mental illness of some sort and needs to seek some help.

It’s appropriate, therefore, that today the Raiders will place Jones on the Non-Football Illness list. This according to NFL media’s Ian Rapoport.

Rapoport noted that the team is not currently distancing themselves from the veteran edge rusher and appears to still hold out hope he can figure himself out and return to the team at some point this season.

The placement on the NFI list means he will miss at least the next four games before he’s eligible to return.

Texans place Kenny Stills on non-football illness list, release Ira Savage-Lewis

The Houston Texans have placed receiver Kenny Stills on the non-football illness list, and they cut defensive end Ira Savage-Lewis.

Houston Texans receiver Kenny Stills has reported to training camp, but he won’t be able to get to the practice field just yet.

According to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle, Stills has been in Houston working out with quarterback Deshaun Watson, and he did undergo his physical and COVID-19 testing with the Texans.

“With Kenny, he’s a great communicator,” receivers coach John Perry said. “I love having Kenny in the room because he’s a guy that, like I said, is a great communicator. All this offseason when we were doing things virtually — which is a challenge — but he was great. He was a good voice in the room and moving forward I expect that to be the same.”

Stills will still count against the Texans’ roster, which could explain why the club released defensive end Ira Savage-Lewis from the reserve non-football injury list. The former Baylor Bear and Lamar High School product injured his back during offseason workouts.

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