Las Vegas Raiders tight end Michael Mayer has been the subject of trade rumors all offseason and a possible serious suitor may be emerging to acquire his services.
On Monday, the Miami Dolphins and Pittsburgh Steelers pulled off a blockbuster trade that sent tight end Jonnu Smith and cornerback Jalen Ramsey to the Steelers, who sent Minkah Fitzpatrick back to the Dolphins. The two teams swapped late-round draft picks, also.
With that, the Dolphins have a hole at tight end. And, in the wake of the trade, Omar Kelly of the Miami Herald reports that Miami has had its eye on Mayer.
"Miami has had their eye on Raider TE Michael Mayer for a while," Kelly wrote on X. "He’s had some on and off-field challenges with the Raiders. But he’s slated to make $1.6M in 2025 and $2M in 2026."
Adding to that, NFL Network's Tom Pelissero notes that the Dolphins have inquired with other teams about acquiring a tight end.
Mayer took a backseat to Brock Bowers, the No. 13 overall pick in 2024 who exploded onto the scene with the Raiders last season.
In the midst of Bowers' historic rookie campaign, Mayer left the team to deal with some personal issues that were not related to his reduced role. The Notre Dame product did return in Week 11 and finished out the season after missing six games.
While the Raiders have stated publicly that they can still use Mayer despite having Bowers on the same roster, The Athletic's Vic Tafur and Tashan Reed reported that the team is open to trading the former second-round pick.
Mayer flashed as a pass-catcher during his rookie campaign, reeling in 27 receptions for 304 yards and two touchdowns in 2023.
He's also a solid blocker, which further makes him a strong option to replace Smith, although Mayer doesn't offer the same athleticism and versatility Smith does as a playmaker.
Keep an eye on this situation moving forward, as it's very possible Mayer ends up in South Beach in due time.
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