Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce said Wednesday that he thinks Mayer (personal) is "getting close" to a return, Tashan Reed of The Athletic reports.
Mayer has been away from the team since late September and was placed on the non-football illness list Oct. 11. He's eligible to return Week 11 following the Raiders' Week 10 bye, but it isn't yet clear if that will happen even with Pierce's recent optimism.
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Raiders' Michael Mayer: Moves to reserve/NFI
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The Raiders placed Mayer (personal) on the reserve/non-football illness list Friday.
Mayer has been away from the team since at least Sept. 26 as he tends to a personal matter that has sidelined him the last two games and will keep him out through the Raiders' Week 10 bye. He'll be first eligible to get back on the active roster Sunday, Nov. 17 at Miami, but in the meantime, Harrison Bryant and John Samuel Shenker will handle the TE reps that don't go to rookie sensation Brock Bowers.
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Raiders' Michael Mayer: Away from team still
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Mayer (personal) remains away from the Raiders ahead of Wednesday's practice, Vic Tafur of The Athletic reports.
Mayer missed the past two games and appears in danger of missing another this Sunday against the Steelers. Harrison Bryant has taken on more playing time in Mayer's absence, while Brock Bowers is still dominating the tight-end targets but hasn't gotten much of a playing-time boost.
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Raiders' Michael Mayer: Out again in Week 5
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Mayer (personal) has been ruled out for Sunday's game at Denver, Paul Gutierrez of ESPN.com reports.
Mayer has been away from the Raiders since last Thursday as he tends to a personal matter, and he'll miss a second consecutive contest as a result this weekend. With Mayer out this past Sunday against the Browns, rookie first-rounder Brock Bowers paced the team's tight ends with an 81 percent snap share on his way to three touches (two catches, one carry) for 31 yards from scrimmage, while Harrison Bryant earned 76 percent of snaps and caught both of his targets for 21 yards. Mayer's next chance to play is Sunday, Oct. 13 against the Steelers.
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Raiders' Michael Mayer: Absent from practice
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Mayer (personal) isn't participating in Thursday's practice, Tashan Reed of The Athletic reports.
Mayer hasn't practiced since last Wednesday and remains away from the team while he tends to a personal matter. Unless he rejoins the Raiders and takes part in on-field work Friday, he'll likely be ruled out ahead of Sunday's game in Denver. Another absence would pave the way for Harrison Bryant to serve as the Raiders' No. 2 tight end behind Brock Bowers.
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Raiders' Michael Mayer: Away from team
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Mayer (personal) remained away from the Raiders on Wednesday and doesn't have a timeline to return, Levi Edwards of the Raiders' official site reports.
Mayer was added to the injury report last Thursday and ended up missing Sunday's win over the Browns. Harrison Bryant took over most of Mayer's snaps, with rookie tight end Brock Bowers essentially handling the same role he had Weeks 1 through 3. A similar plan will likely be in place again if Mayer isn't back with the team before Sunday's game in Denver.
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Raiders' Michael Mayer: Sitting out in Week 4
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Mayer (personal) won't play in Sunday's game against the Browns, Tashan Reed of The Athletic reports.
Mayer showed up on the Raiders' injury report Thursday as a non-participant due to a personal matter, which now won't allow him to suit up Week 4. Brock Bowers is the clear-cut top tight end for Las Vegas, but Harrison Bryant and practice-squad members Justin Shorter and John Samuel Shenker will be candidates to fill in behind the rookie first-rounder in place of Mayer.
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Raiders' Michael Mayer: One reception in Week 3 loss
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Mayer caught one pass for seven yards on three targets in Sunday's 36-22 loss to the Panthers.
Mayer's overall route participation was limited as the Raiders found themselves facing a significant deficit for much of the contest, therefore using plenty of 11 personnel with each of Davante Adams, Jakobi Meyers and Tre Tucker logging an offensive snap share greater than 80 percent while tight end Brock Bowers secured three of four targets for 41 yards of his own. Mayer has posted a meager 4-21-0 receiving line on seven total targets through the first three weeks of the season.
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Raiders' Michael Mayer: Makes 11-yard reception Sunday
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Mayer caught his only target for 11 yards in Sunday's 26-23 win over the Ravens.
Mayer once again logged nearly as many offensive snaps (39) as fellow tight end Brock Bowers (43), but the first-round rookie erupted for 98 yards and caught all nine of his targets. With the Raiders struggling to get much going on the ground through the first two weeks of the season, Mayer could be tasked with additional blocking duties while Bowers enjoys a more fantasy-friendly route tree, especially if the team manages to build a lead against the Panthers in Week 3.
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Raiders' Michael Mayer: Shifts over to IR
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Mayer (toe) was placed on injured reserve Saturday.
Mayer had already been ruled out for Sunday's finale prior, but the Raiders wanted to open up a roster spot for the final week of the regular season. The rookie tight end was widely lauded as a sure-fire starter in the league, but he ended up splitting time frequently with Austin Hooper the entire campaign and ended up with a 27-304-2 line on the season. The 22-year-old Mayer likely still projects as a clear-cut starter in future seasons, but it's certainly been a frustrating season for fantasy managers who expected Mayer to flash to the same extent as fellow rookies Sam LaPorta, Dalton Kincaid and Luke Musgrave.
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Raiders' Michael Mayer: Expected to remain sidelined Sunday
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Coach Antonio Pierce said Friday that Mayer (toe) will more than likely remain out Sunday against the Colts, Vic Tafur of The Athletic reports.
Mayer missed Monday's win over Kansas City due to a toe injury and hasn't been able to participate in practice leading up to Sunday's game in Indianapolis. The rookie tight end's status won't be confirmed until Friday's injury report, but it looks like Austin Hooper and Zach Gentry will be Vegas' only healthy tight ends against the Colts.
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Raiders' Michael Mayer: Listed as non-participant
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The Raiders listed Mayer (toe) as a non-participant on Wednesday's estimated practice report.
The team merely held a walkthrough Wednesday after upsetting the Chiefs two days earlier. Austin Hooper took on a three-down role in the contest as Las Vegas' top tight end with both Mayer and Jesper Horsted (hamstring) inactive, catching two of three targets for 13 yards while playing 89 percent of snaps. That's not unlike the stat lines Mayer has posted of late, with large snap shares rarely leading to considerable receiving production. The rookie is in danger of missing a second straight game when the Raiders play in Indianapolis this Sunday.
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Raiders' Michael Mayer: Doesn't practice Thursday
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Mayer didn't practice Thursday due to a toe injury.
In the Raiders' 63-21 win over the Chargers last Thursday, Mayer caught four of his five targets for 39 yards and a touchdown. He may have sustained a toe injury at some point along the way, and his absence from practice to begin Week 16 prep now makes his status worth monitoring ahead of Monday's game against the Chiefs. If Mayer ends up sitting out versus Kansas City, Austin Hooper would be the next man up for reps at tight end.
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Raiders' Michael Mayer: Gets into end zone in win
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Mayer brought in four of five targets for 39 yards and a touchdown in the Raiders' 63-21 win over the Chargers on Thursday night.
The rookie tight end finished second in receptions and targets on the night, although well behind Davante Adams in both categories. Mayer rounded out his night with the second touchdown catch of his career, an 11-yard grab in the second quarter. Mayer heads into a Week 16 road showdown against the Chiefs on Christmas Day with a pair of four-reception tallies in the last four games.
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Raiders' Michael Mayer: Finishes third in targets
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Mayer caught two of four targets for 27 yards in Sunday's 31-17 loss to Kansas City.
Mayer tied slot receiver Hunter Renfrow for third in team targets Sunday with each player recording four apiece. The rookie tight end has seen his role increase over the Raiders' last three games by averaging 4.7 targets while catching his first touchdown over that span. Mayer will look to continue developing in a starting role when Las Vegas returns from its bye to face the Vikings on Dec. 10.
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Raiders' Michael Mayer: Week 12 Waiver Priority List
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Mayer has scored at least 8.6 PPR points in each of his past two games against the Jets and Dolphins, and he has 10 targets over that span for seven catches, 65 yards and a touchdown. We'll see if he continues to get more targets from Aidan O'Connell, and Mayer is worth adding in deeper leagues for one percent of your FAB heading into Week 12 against Kansas City.
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Raiders' Michael Mayer: One catch in Week 8 loss
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Mayer caught one of two targets for 19 yards in Monday's 26-14 loss to the Lions.
Mayer was one of four players that tied for second on the team in receiving yards behind Josh Jacobs' 27, as Jimmy Garoppolo (back) threw for only 126 yards in his return from a one-game absence. Fellow tight end Austin Hooper was among those four players, but Mayer has 133 receiving yards to Hooper's 49 in Garoppolo's last three starts. The rookie tight end let out some anger over Vegas' poor offensive performance with a huge hit on special teams, accounting for Mayer's first career tackle. Mayer and the rest of Vegas' passing game will look to get back on track in Week 9 against the Giants.
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Raiders' Michael Mayer: Earns four targets in loss
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Mayer caught two passes for 13 yards on four targets in Sunday's 30-12 loss to the Bears.
He once again played ahead of Austin Hooper, as the rookie tight end out-snapped the eight-year veteran 46 to 22, but Mayer's volume was disappointing while wide receivers Davante Adams and Jakobi Meyers saw a combined 25 targets from quarterbacks Brian Hoyer and Aidan O'Connell. Mayer will look to take better advantage of his recently expanded role against the Lions in Week 8, and he would likely benefit from the potential return of Jimmy Garoppolo (back) under center.
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Raiders' Michael Mayer: Sleeper TEs
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Mayer is coming off a big game in Week 6 against New England with five catches for 75 yards on six targets, and this could be the start of something big for the rookie tight end. I expect the former Notre Dame product to do well in Week 7 against the Bears. Chicago has allowed five tight ends to score at least 8.0 PPR points this season, including Logan Thomas and T.J. Hockenson in each of the past two weeks. Mayer is worth starting as a low-end No. 1 option in Week 7.
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Raiders' Michael Mayer: Week 7 Streamers (TE Preview)
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If Mayer becomes a starting tight end rest of season, we will view Week 6 as his breakout party. He set season highs in targets (6), receptions (5), yards (75) and played 81% of the snaps. There is no reason to think Josh McDaniels will go back to Austin Hooper, but I also understand if you would like to see more than one good game before you start him.
