Nov 29, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Las Vegas Raiders tight end Justin Shorter (88) warms up prior to a game against the Kansas City Chiefs at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

Raiders TE Justin Shorter In Battle for Roster Spot

Originally posted on Las Vegas Raiders on SI
By Michael Canelo | Last updated May 11, 2025 3:00 PM ET

The Las Vegas Raiders will head into the 2025 NFL season looking to get things going in the right direction. The Raiders are coming off a bad showing in the 2024 season and now with a new head coach in Pete Carroll, they will have a leader who knows how to get things going in the right direction with a franchise that has been struggling to find stability and wins.

The one bright spot from last year's team was the play of tight end Brock Bowers. Bowers had one of the best, if not the best rookie seasons ever. Bowers broke a lot of records in his first season in the National Football League and made a new for himself in year one. Bowers will be one of the key weapons in this offense with new offensive coordinator Chip Kelly.

The Raiders do have another young, talented tight end in Michael Mayer, who can be a good piece in the Chip Kelly offense as well. Mayer and Bowers can do it all and will do anything this team needs to make it successful. These are two players you want on your team, and the Raiders have them. And they can be on the field together a lot next season.

Our Hondo Carpenter talked about another tight end that can be in a battle for the final tight end roster spot, Justin Shorter, on a recent episode of the "Las Vegas Raiders Insider Podcast."

"Then there is a guy on the roster from Florida, Justin Shorter. He is 6'5 big. He brings some intrigue here," said Carpenter. "I think he brings a strong want to in special teams, which you have to have to be the third guy. He is developmental. Needs to develop. But I like Shorter's game. Go back and just look, especially at some things he did in Florida, and I can see why the Raiders are intrigued by him. I can see the mad scientist on the offensive side of the ball."

"We always called Patrick Graham that, and he is. But I can see that mad scientist side of the ball with Chip Kelly trying to dream of ways to use Shorter. He is an intriguing guy. I do not know that I would say at this point, I would guess we would beat Ian Thomas, but he might."