While the Raiders locker room has remained confident in Mayer's abilities, what he brings to the table became glaring to casual fans starting in Week 3.
Going in for a tackle on special teams, he suffered a concussion that would keep him out for two games. While out of action, his impact was missed on offense. But surprisingly enough, not as much as it was on special teams.
Mayer typically lines up as a blocker on field goal and punt units, and his absence was felt on two major plays. Against the Chicago Bears, a potential game-winning 54-yard field goal was blocked by Josh Blackwell with less than a minute left in the game. The following week against the Indianapolis Colts, Segun Olubi came off the line of scrimmage untouched to block a punt.
Mayer's return back to the field against the Tennessee Titans couldn't have come at a better time, with Bowers out due to a knee injury he suffered in Week 1.
Stepping into the TE1 role last Sunday, Mayer delivered.
In the 20-10 victory over the Titans, he saw a team-high seven targets, catching five passes for 50 yards and a touchdown. Mayer's touchdown was the lone passing touchdown for the Raiders on the day, and the tight end's first time in the end zone since his rookie season.
"It felt great, obviously first one since 2023," Mayer said Thursday afternoon. "It's been awhile, but it's an unbeatable feeling. It's a feeling I want to get a lot more times this season. ... Geno did a fantastic time finding me there, putting it behind me so it didn't lead me into traffic and I could fall right into the end zone."
"It was awesome to have Mike back," Smith said postgame. "As you can see, he played a phenomenal game. He's tough as crap, man. He plays so hard every single game. Him, Brock, and couple other guys that are my safety net. I feel good when those guys are in the game, and as you can see, they do a great job. They make us better."