On top of having the doors blown off by the Washington Commanders on Sunday, the Las Vegas Raiders witnessed a scary scene unfold on the field.
During the first quarter of the game, Mayer was defending a punt return and made a tackle on return man Jaylin Lane. However, the hit left Mayer down on the field in a fencing position, a posture that is usually the result of a concussion or other serious head trauma. While he would walk off the field under his own power, Mayer remained in the NFL’s concussion protocol and did not return for the rest of the game.
Suddenly, the Raiders now have to look for a way to replace Mayer in their lineup on top of the other issues they have to fix.
What Mayer’s absence means for the Raiders going forward
The scary part of Mayer’s concussion is that the injury itself is unpredictable by nature.
Depending on the severity of the injury, Mayer could be out for just a brief period of time or miss the rest of the season, if not longer. As a result, the Raiders have yet to provide a clear timetable for when they can expect Mayer to get back in the lineup.
It is an unfortunate development for both Mayer and the Raiders, as the team had tabbed the third-year tight end as a breakout candidate throughout training camp.
With Mayer out, veteran tight end Ian Thomas is expected to slide into his spot as the primary blocking tight end and special teams gunner. The Raiders also have both Albert Okwuegbunam Jr. and Carter Runyon on the practice squad to call up. Both have different skillsets from Thomas, however, as they offer more receiving upside.
Mayer’s absence is just another issue the Raiders are going to have to deal with after a game that exposed many serious problems.
