Raiders Injury Report Turns Ugly Ahead of Colts Showdown

The Las Vegas Raiders announced on Saturday that tight end Michael Mayer would be ruled out for the team's game against the Indianapolis Colts.

Sep 28, 2025; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Las Vegas Raiders head coach Pete Carroll communicates with safety Chris Smith II (29) during warm ups prior to the game against the Chicago Bears at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images | Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

The Las Vegas Raiders announced on Saturday that starting tight ends Brock Bowers and Michael Mayer are not expected to play against the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday. Mayer has already been ruled out, and Bowers appears not to be able to go, according to NFL Insider Ian Rapoport.

The Raiders, already enduring their own struggles in the passing game, now lose a supplement in that area, along with a blocker in the run game, for a second straight week in Mayer and likely their game-changing threat in Bowers.

"Raiders star TE Brock Bowers is trending toward not playing Sunday against the #Colts, per me and

@TomPelissero," reported Rapoport. "Bowers has been battling a knee injury."

While coach Pete Carroll expressed confidence in Bowers being out on the field, his knee didn’t respond.

Ian Thomas is expected to have a greater involvement within the offense.

Aug 23, 2025; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Las Vegas Raiders tight end Ian Thomas (80) against the Arizona Cardinals during a preseason NFL game at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Raiders Make Roster Move

Rapoport reported the Raiders activated Albert Okwuegbunam.

Aug 23, 2025; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Las Vegas Raiders tight end Albert Okwuegbunam (86) against the Arizona Cardinals during a preseason NFL game at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

"The Raiders also elevated TE Albert Okwuegbunam from the practice squad, while ruling out TE Michael Mayer (concussion)," reported Rapoport.

Pete Carroll on Mayer

Sep 21, 2025; Landover, Maryland, USA; Las Vegas Raiders head coach Pete Carroll stands on the sidelines against the Washington Commanders during the third quarter at Northwest Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

Earlier this week, Raiders head coach Pete Carroll spoke on his tight end room.

• "Oh no, we love those guys," stated Carroll. "Yeah, we love having them out there, and it does hold us back a little bit. Fortunately, Ian [Thomas] does a really nice job and does all the same stuff so that we can share the load there. But we really like having Michael [Mayer] and Brock [Bowers] together."

Thomas will likely get the Lions' share of tight end snaps again, having recorded 40 out of 52 total snaps against the Bears last Sunday. In that game, Thomas recorded 29 snaps.

Considering Geno Smith's propensity to throw interceptions and the Colts having one of the best secondaries in the NFL, the Raiders are likely to run the ball a lot more, especially after Ashton Jeanty's massive game.

Aug 23, 2025; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Las Vegas Raiders tight end Ian Thomas (80) against the Arizona Cardinals during a preseason NFL game at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Pro Football Focus stated Thomas had 21 run blocking snaps, recording a 63.7 grade in his performance.

Regardless, the Rams were able to run on the Colts last week in action from SoFi Stadium and Colts' safety Camryn Bynum is one of the best turnover creators in the NFL. Here's what Rams offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur stated about Bynum last week.

• “He's just around the ball," stated LaFleur. "He’s always been that way, whether it be Minnesota or Indianapolis. You can just tell guys that instinctively just get it. They’re just at the ball. They're just making plays."

Aug 9, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Rams assistant coach Mike LaFleur looks on during the second half against the Dallas Cowboys at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

• "You guys know who the players [are] around this league that I'm talking about. He's one of them. He’s a big part of their defense and what they're doing. This is a really good defense led by a really good coordinator. They play with a lot of pride and they play really hard. We’ve got our hands full. Whether it be [Camryn]Bynumor [Defensive Tackle] DeForest Buckner, they're all problems.”

Now down Mayer, expect a heavy dose of the run.

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