Las Vegas Raiders offensive coordinator Chip Kelly joined the team after spending a year at Ohio State. This marks his second stint in the NFL, following head coaching roles with the Philadelphia Eagles and San Francisco 49ers.
Kelly is now familiarizing himself with his offensive roster, including former second-round pick Michael Mayer. Mayer began to emerge in 2023 before an injury setback. After losing his starting role to star rookie tight end Brock Bowers, Mayer took a brief leave of absence before returning late in the 2024 season, aiming for a strong comeback in 2025.
Kelly plans to utilize both tight ends in his scheme. He discussed Mayer’s transition to the new system, which features a variety of personnel groupings.
“I think Mike’s been fantastic. I checked—and yes, you can play with two tight ends at once, and sometimes even three,” Kelly joked. “We’ll adjust week to week based on how defenses line up against us. It helps that we have depth at tight end. Ian Thomas has also been impressive and brings a lot of experience.”
With quarterback Geno Smith surrounded by a wealth of receiving options, and Kelly bringing creativity and flexibility to the offense, Raiders fans could be in for an exciting 2025 season.