Raiders TE Michael Mayer Has Found the Secret to Improving His Speed

Las Vegas Raiders tight end Michael Mayer has improved his speed this offseason.

Las Vegas Raiders TE Michael Mayer / Darrell Craig Harris, Sports Illustrated

Las Vegas Raiders second-year tight end Michael Mayer has looked faster in training camp so far, and that is no accident.

"It's definitely a couple of things," Mayer recently said at training camp. "I definitely worked on my speed. I actually figured out something I probably should've been doing since freshman year of college. I've been doing these stretches -- like 30, 45 minutes of yoga every day. And I wake up feeling way better than I've ever felt. So, it's helped me out tremendously, and I feel like it's kind of made me faster out there, too. So, that's a plus, for sure."

Mayer said the yoga sessions started with two of his fellow tight ends from last season.

"Really, the two tight ends last year -- Cole Fotheringham, who's still here, Jesper Horsted, who's playing for the [New Orleans] Saints now," Mayer said. "Every Monday night during the season, we would go to yoga, and I kind of just took a couple things from there, and now, I just do it by myself in the backyard or in my house or whatever. Yeah, it's awesome."

Mayer not only looks faster, but he looks better all around. That will be key as he looks to build off his rookie campaign and serve as one of the crucial pieces of the one-two combo punch of him and rookie tight end Brock Bowers.

"I feel like after every day, I just have to tell myself, 'What can I do to get better?'" Mayer said. "So, I come out there the next day. 'What can I do to get better? What can I do to get better?' And eventually, I just keep getting better, keep getting better, keep having fun, keep enjoying myself, and it's fun to be out here."

The Raiders selected Mayer in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft. After taking a little while to start becoming a weapon for the offense, Mayer began to find his groove midway through the season. He finished the year with 304 yards and two touchdowns on 27 receptions.

Mayer made 12 starts in 14 contests before missing the final three games of the season with a toe injury.

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