The Las Vegas Raiders have, over the years, struggled to either keep homegrown talent or even develop it. Tight end Michael Mayer became the exception to the recent rule that continues to plague the franchise. Mayer will enter Sunday's game against the Los Angeles Rams as not just a starter but a vital part of an offense that needs him to be more than one specific type of player. Granted, Brock Bowers absorbed much of the kudos and love from the fanbase, but Mayer's role is integral in keeping the Vegas offense on the move.
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By nature, Mayer is the quintessential tight end. He grew up in a small town (Independence, Ky.) and was grounded at Notre Dame, becoming the school's all-time leading receiver among tight ends with 180 catches. On top of that, Mayer isn't a modern tight end, in the sense of outrunning safeties. He runs efficient, clean routes, nothing fancy.
He runs with the violence you'd expect a tight end to, earning the nickname "Wreck-It Ralph" from X user bigcory00 during his NSFW game recaps. Mayer's toughness became known to this new crop of teammates when linebacker Nakobe Dean tried to force a fumble in practice by punching the ball out. As Sam Warren of The Athletic discussed, it was another day at the job.
"I just want to play football, man. When the team told me that having my nose covered with a visor would prevent any worse injury, I said, 'Well, heck yeah, let's get back to football then. ' Shoot, what are we waiting around for? If I get punched again, so be it, whatever," Mayer says. "I think my nose is still a little crooked, but thankfully my fiancée still thinks I'm attractive."
Raiders football encompasses many qualities, but being aesthetically pleasing will never be one of them. Mayer shines best with the drive hanging in the balance. Not only is he tied with Bowers for the team lead in catches with 28, but 18 of those grabs led to first down.
Granted, averaging less than ten yards per catch may not look impressive; Mayer's 82.4% catch percentage should. He bailed the Raiders out when they needed him most. If Bowers is the surgical scalpel, Mayer is the hatchet with the bent handle: still effective, just without the fanfare.
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Fans will unnecessarily attribute the term "Raider for Life" to just about anyone who wore the silver and black. However, Mayer provides an iconoclastic approach to the game and discusses his desire to remain in the desert.
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"They saw my work ethic, they saw my studies, and they saw my understanding of the offense. I think I had a really, really unbelievable spring and camp, and that's something they saw and wanted me to stay around. I'm grateful for it. I love it here, I love this organization, and I'm just going to keep working my tail off."
Before the start of the season, the front office signed Mayer to a three-year, $45 million contract extension. That is the fifth-highest in the NFL . Mayer may not appear in the highlights for jaw-dropping athleticism. However, if the Raiders reached the red zone, No. 87 likely contributed to several of the plays that enabled them to do so.
This article was originally published on HEAVY
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