Breaking Down the Raiders' TE Room and What to Expect Next Season

The Las Vegas Raiders had one of the worst offenses in the NFL last season, with the majority of their units failing to reach their preseason expectations. One of the players who had a lot of expectations was Brock Bowers after his incredible rookie season.

Geno Smith failed to give Bowers the targets he deserved, and Bowers himself struggled with staying on the field due to injuries. However, Klint Kubiak is in charge right now, and it's expected that he'll be able to get the most out of Bowers in their offense. What does the Raiders' tight end room look like heading into next season?

TE Room Overview

Dec 14, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Las Vegas Raiders tight end Brock Bowers (89) against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images | Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

The best pass-catcher on the Raiders roster is Bowers, and that's with them going out and signing Jalen Nailor in free agency. He's excellent after the catch, and even though his general production went down, he scored more touchdowns last season than he did in his rookie campaign.

Bowers will be Fernando Mendoza's favorite target. That's because it doesn't matter what the drive or situation is, if you give Bowers a chance at the ball, good things are sure to follow. He has strong hands at the catch point, and I expect him to be used at all three levels of the field. His future in Kubiak's offense is bright.

That same statement cannot be said with the same certainty when talking about Bowers' backup, Michael Mayer. He's entering the last year of his contract, and unless Bowers deals with injury again, his opportunities to make an impression on the new Raiders regime are slim.

However, I do think it'd be a good idea to bring him back. He's a solid backup tight end who could be a low-end starter on other teams. He doesn't have the same explosiveness as Bowers, but get him in open space, and he will make defenses pay.

Aug 23, 2025; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Las Vegas Raiders tight end Carter Runyon (46) 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 majority of tight ends on their roster are on expiring deals, so I expect Kubiak to draft a third-string tight end in the upcoming draft class. He may even want to select the primary backup himself and let Mayer find a new team in free agency to keep them cheaper and younger.

Regardless, they'd better hope that Bowers can stay on the field in 2026. Outside of Mayer, their tight ends are more for blocking schemes than big passes. The only real exception is Cameron Heyward, even if Heyward is their fullback.