On the eve of the start of Michael Mayer's contract year in Las Vegas, the Raiders made a move to keep him in the fold for many years to come. The team officially announced Saturday morning that they have signed the fourth year tight end to a three-year extension that keeps him in a Raiders uniform through 2029.
The deal is for a reported $45 million over three years with $30 million guaranteed.
The Raiders have agreed to terms on a 3-year extension with TE Michael Mayer worth $45M with $30M guaranteed. The $15M APY ranks 4th among current TE contracts. The deal was negotiated by Kyle McCarthy, Brian Murphy, and Cam Hahn of Athletes First
— Ian Rapoport (@rapsheet.bsky.social) 2026-09-12T15:25:09.437Z
Mayer was originally drafted by the Raiders with the 35th overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. The following
year the Raiders selected Brock Bowers at 13 overall and Bowers went to have an All Pro rookie season.
However, last season Bowers struggled with an injured knee and is now set to miss some time after a meniscus trim procedure and there could be worries his knee issues could linger.
Even if Bowers were healthy, the Raiders had plans to make Mayer a significant part of the offensive gameplan and his new deal reflects that.
Speaking of timing, immediatley after Mayer's extension came the news that the Packers were giving their TE Tucker Kroft an extension that may have sent Mayer's price tag skyrocketing, and thus making a deal more urgent.
Buzzer beater: The Packers and TE Tucker Kraft agreed to terms on a lucrative 4-year extension through 2030, sources say. Kraft will average $19.66M over the first 3 new years of the deal done by Jack Bechta of JB Sports. Overall, it’s 4 years for $75M with $92M as the max value.
— Ian Rapoport (@rapsheet.bsky.social) 2026-09-12T15:29:11.745Z
It's also possible the Raiders deal with Mayer prompted the Packers to get their deal done with Kraft. Or maybe it's just a coincidence. Either way, tight ends are getting paid today.
This article originally appeared on Raiders Wire: Raiders lock in TE Michael Mayer with big time 3-year extension
