Could Michael Mayer Be the Game-Changing Tight End the Dolphins Have Been Searching For?

The Raiders drafted Brock Bowers in the first round in 2024, and he became one of the league’s best tight ends in his rookie season. They also have free agent addition Ian Thomas.

A report earlier today indicated the Dolphins are talking to multiple teams about a trade for a tight end.Mayer missed six games in 2024 for personal reasons, and he has only 48 receptions for 460 yards and two touchdowns in 25 games since the Raiders made him a second-round pick in 2023.But he is due only .6 million in 2025 and million in 2026.The Dolphins traded their only 2024 Pro Bowler in tight end Jonnu Smith as part of a deal that also sent cornerback Jalen Ramsey to Pittsburgh. Now, the Dolphins are in the market for tight end and cornerback help.One of those teams, according to Omar Kelly of the Miami Herald, is the Raiders as Miami has had its “eye on” tight end Michael Mayer “for a while.”When a team parts ways with its top talent, the ripple effects send shockwaves far beyond just the scoreboard. That’s precisely what the Miami Dolphins did when they shipped off their lone 2024 Pro Bowler, tight end Jonnu Smith, alongside cornerback Jalen Ramsey in a move that has tongues wagging across the league. Now, Miami’s front office is scrambling, eyes peeled for fresh faces to plug those gaping holes at tight end and cornerback. Word on the street—heck, practically a shout from the rooftops—is that they’re courting several teams, with one notable suitor being the Raiders. The Dolphins have long admired Michael Mayer, a player whose career has been intriguing but interrupted, yet his affordable contract could make him just the puzzle piece Miami needs. With Brock Bowers dazzling as a rookie and Ian Thomas added to the mix, the motivations behind a potential Mayer trade become even juicier… Get ready, this saga is nowhere near over.LEARN MORE