Should The Las Vegas Raiders Pay WR Jakobi Meyers?

Before the 2023 season, then-Las Vegas Raiders head coach Josh McDaniels wanted to bring one of his former guys from New England to Las Vegas. Jakobi Meyers wasn’t the only former Patriot brought over, but he’s now spent the past two seasons in Las Vegas.

During those two years, Meyers has done pretty well. He hasn’t had the easiest of circumstances, given the quarterback play the Raiders have had recently. Still, though, he’s had his moments. Now, Meyers heads into the final year of the three-year deal he signed back before 2023.

Let’s take a look at the performance Meyer has provided over the last two years and judge whether the Raiders should pay Meyers.

How has Jakobi Meyers been over the past two years?

The last two seasons have seen reliable and consistent production from Meyers. In 2023, he caught 71 passes for 807 yards along with eight touchdowns. It was the third straight year where Meyers recorded 800-plus receiving yards. He followed up that performance last season by crossing a major career milestone—first time securing 1,000-plus receiving yards. You can add four touchdowns to that total as well. It’s even more impressive considering the overall lack of talent at quarterback for the Raiders.

Somehow, despite a terrible season for the franchise in general, Meyers had the best year of his career in 2024. Perhaps it was Davante Adams leaving in the middle of the season, but Meyers had many more opportunities, which No. 16 took full advantage of.

A long-term commitment from the Raiders makes sense because…

Looking at the Raiders’ receiving depth right now, it would be beneficial to keep him around in the future. Meyers is currently the WR1 on the roster. Although Brock Bowers brings a ton of pass-catching talent himself, Meyers is the best actual wide receiver.

Of course, Las Vegas did add to the position this offseason. However, Jack Bech is unlikely to assume the WR1 role immediately. Dont’e Thornton Jr. is a charming piece, but he’s not going to be the team’s leading receiver either. Tre Tucker has also been solid but has yet to prove himself as a top option going forward. These are all complementary players as it stands; they’re not your top options right now. At least that’s how it appears on paper given their youth.

Speaking of you, another thing to consider is the amount of it in the room. Tucker is still young, and Bech and Thornton are both rookies. Aside from Meyers, there’s really not much of a veteran presence. Keeping Meyers around could help provide mentorship for the younger receivers on the roster. And it’s not like Meyers can’t play anymore, either. He just had the best season of his career and is still under the age of 30.

When Las Vegas brought Meyers into town, it was on a three-year, $33 million deal. It will be fascinating to see what his next contract looks like. Meyers has improved his production since signing that deal but is also a couple of years older. Still, since he’s going to be 29 when his deal ends, he should command a decent paycheck.

Obviously, his 2025 season will have a lot to do with his next contract if he’s not extended this offseason. As of now, the Raiders should feel comfortable paying him, even on a higher contract than he received a couple of years ago.