Cincinnati Bengals Should Trade for Las Vegas Raiders Tight End Michael Mayer

CINCINNATI — Raiders tight end Michael Mayer is reportedly on the trade block.

The Bengals should absolutely be interested in trading for the 23-year-old.

The Bengals passed on Mayer in the 2023 NFL Draft. Cincinnati took Myles Murphy with the 28th overall pick. The Raiders took Mayer six picks later with the 35th overall selection.

Mayer has 48 catches for 460 yards and two touchdowns in 25 career games.

If the Bengals could send a fifth round pick to the Raiders for Mayer, it would be a worthwhile trade.

He's only 23-years-old, which means his best years are likely ahead of him. A big reason why they passed on him in the 2023 draft is because he wasn't dynamic enough as a pass catcher.

He was productive at Notre Dame, but he didn't have the same upside as some of the other top tight ends—especially since the Bengals are a pass first offense.

That doesn't mean Mayer wouldn't be a match for the Bengals. It just means they didn't value him enough to take him in the first round.

Why are the Raiders open to trading him? They took Brock Bowers in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft. He was an All-Pro in his first season. Getting value for Mayer makes sense, especially since they have a new coaching staff, general manager and will likely have a new quarterback this offseason.

Parting with a fifth round pick for Mayer would make a ton of sense. Maybe the Raiders are interested in Cordell Volson or Geno Stone—the Bengals should have both veterans on the trade block.

Trading for Mayer is a no-brainer if they could get him for a day three draft pick and a player like Volson or Stone.

Mayer is a quality blocker, has good hands and is dynamic enough in the passing game to give Joe Burrow another weapon to work with for the foreseeable future—especially at a position that has had a lot of turnover in Cincinnati.

Watch highlights from Mayer's first two seasons with the Raiders below:

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Published Mar 1, 2025

JAMES RAPIEN

James Rapien is the publisher of Bengals OnSI. He's also the host of the Locked on Bengals podcast and Cincinnati Bengals Talk on YouTube. The Cincinnati native also wrote a book about the history of the Cincinnati Bengals called Enter The Jungle. Prior to joining Bengals On SI, Rapien worked at 700 WLW and ESPN 1530 in Cincinnati

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