Michael Mayer: The Raiders Tight End and His Recent TD

A touchdown against New Orleans has renewed attention on Mayer and the Raiders’ plans for using two young tight ends.

SportsOctober 5, 20263 min readHow Sureno writes this

The short version

Michael Mayer plays tight end for the Las Vegas Raiders and previously played for Notre Dame ³.
In the Raiders’ September 28, 2026 win over New Orleans, Mayer caught three passes for 32 yards and a touchdown ².
Brock Bowers was back in the lineup for that game, making Mayer’s contribution part of the discussion about how the Raiders use both players ².
A report credits coach Klint Kubiak with finding a way to play the pair together, but the sources do not show whether that plan will last ¹.

Who is Michael Mayer?

Mayer is a football player who lines up at tight end for the Las Vegas Raiders. Before his professional career, he played for Notre Dame. The supplied biography reports that he made 180 catches there, the most by a tight end in the school’s history ³.

A tight end can take part in both the passing game and blocking. Teams may use players at this position in different ways depending on the play.

Why is Michael Mayer in the news?

Mayer scored a touchdown in the Raiders’ 35–27 victory over the New Orleans Saints on September 28, 2026. He caught all three passes thrown to him, for a total of 32 yards ².

The game drew extra interest because fellow Raiders tight end Brock Bowers was back on the field. Mayer still had a notable contribution, prompting discussion about how the team can make room for both players ².

Can Mayer and Brock Bowers play together?

They both played in the Raiders’ game against the Saints, and Mayer caught a touchdown with Bowers back in the lineup ². A report on the game says head coach Klint Kubiak worked out a way for the two young tight ends to share the field ¹.

That account does not provide a detailed breakdown of their assignments or establish that the same approach will be used from game to game. The sources describe a potential fit, not a settled long-term plan ¹².

What does Mayer’s touchdown tell us?

It shows that Mayer contributed to a Raiders win while Bowers was also available. For a reader following the team casually, that is the clearest takeaway: the two tight ends were not mutually exclusive in this game ².

The result is only a snapshot of one matchup. Three catches, 32 yards and a touchdown do not tell us how often Mayer will be targeted in later games or what his season totals will be ².

What is not yet clear about his role?

The main open question is whether the Raiders will keep giving Mayer and Bowers opportunities together, and how the coaching staff will divide their work. Recent reporting treats that as a developing question, rather than a fully established arrangement ¹.

The supplied sources do not offer a season-long projection or later results. For updates on current games and the roster, readers can consult official Raiders or NFL coverage.

What we don't know yet

Whether the Raiders will regularly use Mayer and Bowers together.
How Mayer’s playing time and responsibilities may change during the season.
Whether his performance against New Orleans signals a continuing role or was specific to that game.

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Questions people ask

What position does Michael Mayer play?

Mayer plays tight end for the Las Vegas Raiders. He played college football for Notre Dame before joining the professional ranks ³.

What were Michael Mayer’s stats against the Saints?

He caught three passes for 32 yards and scored once in the Raiders’ 35–27 win over New Orleans on September 28, 2026 ².

Did Mayer score with Brock Bowers in the lineup?

Yes. The game report says Bowers had returned and Mayer still caught a touchdown against the Saints ².

Where did Michael Mayer play college football?

Mayer played for Notre Dame. The biography provided says he made 180 catches there, a school record for a tight end ³.

Will the Raiders use Michael Mayer and Brock Bowers together?

Both were involved in the game against New Orleans, and Mayer scored while Bowers was back ². A report says coach Klint Kubiak found a way to fit them together, but the available sources do not confirm how often that will happen ¹.

Sources

Klint Kubiak immediately figured out how to let Raiders' young TE duo coexist — Just Blog Baby, 2026-10-02
Michael Mayer hauls in touchdown Sunday — FantasyPros, 2026-09-28
Michael Mayer (American football) — Wikipedia