The Las Vegas Raiders will be down one of their best offensive weapons in rookie tight end Michael Mayer when they face the Kansas City Chiefs on Monday.
Mayer has been quite the playmaker for the Raiders in his first NFL season. Unfortunately for Las Vegas, it will be without its 2023 second-round pick for the first time this season in a game where it needs all the manpower it can get.
Enter veteran tight end Austin Hooper, an offseason free-agent acquisition who has made some big plays for the Silver and Black, but nothing more than two receptions in a single game.
With Mayer out for Monday's game, Hooper's signing suddenly has a lot more value, especially when considering the veteran has a history of being one of the best tight ends in the league.
Hooper was a back-to-back Pro Bowler in the 2018 and 2019 seasons when he was with the Atlanta Falcons. He also has experience playing in big games and even scored a touchdown as a rookie in Super Bowl LI when Atlanta lost in historic fashion to the New England Patriots.
It's one thing when a rookie is called upon and thrown into the fire when the stakes are high, but it is another when a veteran who understands the magnitude of a moment is chosen to step up when needed. For Hooper, that moment will likely be Monday.
Hooper has played every game for the Raiders this season, having totaled 154 receiving yards on 16 receptions.
In total, the 29-year-old tight end has posted 3,622 receiving yards and 25 touchdowns on 355 receptions so far in his eight-year career.
As part of the Raiders' final Week 16 injury report, it has also been revealed that tight end Jesper Horsted has been ruled questionable for Monday's game, as he is recovering from a hamstring injury.
The Silver and Black will return to action versus their AFC West rivals, the Kansas City Chiefs, on Christmas Day at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City. Don't miss it on Monday, December 25, at 1 p.m. EST/10 a.m. PST.
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