Irish Breakdown

Former Notre Dame Star Makes NFL Comeback

The former Notre Dame star tight end is back with the Raiders
Mason Plummer|
Oct 19, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; A Notre Dame Fighting Irish helmet on the field before a game against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images
Oct 19, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; A Notre Dame Fighting Irish helmet on the field before a game against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

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Former Notre Dame tight end Michael Mayer has been noticeably absent from the Las Vegas Raiders this year.

He has been dealing with issues off the field that have prevented him from having the breakout season many expected. Mayer is now back with his team, however, and seems to be ready to kick it into gear for a big second half of the season.

Mayer has been slightly disappointing in his young NFL career thus far. He has tallied 31 catches for 325 yards and just two touchdowns after the Raiders invested in him during the 2023 NFL Draft.

The Raiders then took star tight end Brock Bowers in this most recent 2024 NFL Draft, showing it either does not believe in Mayer or wants to make the tight end position a major strength going forward.

Mayer and Bowers represent two of the better tight ends in recent college football history, as each starred for Notre Dame and Georgia respectfully. We have yet to truly see what the pair of them would look like on the field together, with Mayer only playing a handful of games this season.

Las Vegas, as has been the case in recent memory, is bad again and will likely be looking for a quarterback in the upcoming draft. Just about any quarterback would be an upgrade on Gardner Minshew or Aiden O'Connell at this point, as the Raiders will likely be targeting Shadeur Sanders, Quinn Ewers or Dillon Gabriel.

Mayer will eventually come into his own in the NFL, likely next season. Two tight end sets are not common in the NFL today but the Raiders could have something special moving forward if they play their cards right.

Notre Dame fans won't be quick to forget the star that Mayer was in a gold helmet in South Bend. He will be back in that sort of form very, very soon.

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Mason Plummer
MASON PLUMMER

Covered Notre Dame football recruiting since 2017 for Irish Breakdown, Blue & Gold Illustrated and Notre Dame On SI. Covering Notre Dame professionally got me my start in journalism, which led me to getting my degrees in Journalism and Communications from Ball State University in 2021. Featured on Bleacher Report, NBC Sports, Rivals, On3 and more. Have missed multiple weddings and graduation parties for Notre Dame games.

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