Inside the Michael Mayer deal

Published September 12, 2026 12:54 PM Despite the presence of Brock Bowers, the Raiders have decided to keep tight end Michael Mayer — with an extension just before the first game of his contract year.The details of the Mayer deal have emerged quickly. And it’s a solid agreement, especially since he has a mere 783 receiving yards in his first three NFL seasons.Here are the full specifics, per a source with knowledge of the terms:1. Signing bonus: $9 million.2. 2026 base salary: $2.5 million, fully guaranteed. 3. 2026 per-game roster bonus: $10,000 ($170,000 total).4. 2027 base salary: $11 million, fully guaranteed.5. 2027 per-game roster bonus: $10,000 ($170,000 total).6. 2028 base salary: $11.735 million, $7.5 million of which is guaranteed for injury at signing. It becomes fully guaranteed in March 2027.7. 2028 per-game roster bonus: $10,000 ($170,000 total).8. 2029 base salary: $12.105 million.9. 2029 per-game roster bonus: $10,000 ($170,000 total).The three new years pay $45 million, an average of $15 million per year. From signing, it’s a four-year, $47.02 million deal, with an average of $11.755 million.Mayer has $22.5 million fully guaranteed at signing. The full $30 million in guarantees will vest within six months.It puts him among the highest-paid tight ends in the league — and it will surely prompt plenty of other tight ends to call their agents.Listed behind Bowers on the depth chart, Mayer will enter the starting lineup during Bowers’s short-term absence due to a recent knee surgery to trim his meniscus.