Jan 27, 2025; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Las Vegas Raiders coach Pete Carroll at press conference at Intermountain Health Performance Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Underrated Offseason Move Will Pay Off for the Raiders

Originally posted on Las Vegas Raiders on SI
By Ezekiel Trezevant | Last updated Aug 14, 2025 11:00 AM ET

Of all the moves that the Las Vegas Raiders made this offseason, one of those moves has already paid off. The Raiders will have a new look and feel this season.

Still, Las Vegas' decision to keep one position coach in particular has already had tangible positive results. The Raiders have pressed many of the right buttons for their players this season; they did so in more ways than one.

Following training camp, Michal Mayer noted his excitement for the return of Tight Ends Coach Luke Steckel.

Las Vegas made several critical changes to its coaching staff and its roster, but decided to keep Steckel. That is a big deal for a team that enters this season with little continuity.

"I was ecstatic when I found out Steck [Luke Steckel] was coming back. Very ecstatic. He's, in terms of being a coach, a player's coach, having a player relationship coach, player-coach relationship, it's been awesome. I can talk to him about anything. He can talk to me about anything. In terms of his coaching style, he's very hands-on, which I love," Mayer said.

"He's very hands-on. He's very, 'This is what you need to do. Let me show you. Let's go out on the field and talk about it. Run it, run the route, stuff like that,' and Steck's hands down a great coach. I'm very excited to just keep going this season with him, too. But having him from last year was huge. I think Brock [Bowers] would say the same thing, huge. We love him very much. He's a great coach, great guy to be around."

TE Room Evolves

Mayer is entering his third season in the league, undoubtedly the most critical season of his career to this point. Mayer is undoubtedly a talented tight end but he is only scratching the surface of what is possible for him.

The third-year tight end explained his mindset as he enters this season with his third head coach in as many seasons.

"Yeah, I think it's pretty cliche or obvious, but just take a deep breath. I think that's very important just in terms of, 'Alright, I made a mistake. Don't dwell on it. Don't let it roll into another mistake or another mistake. Move on. People make mistakes. Move on. Do the best you can on the next play. Keep your head high. Have fun. Smile, laugh,' things like that, and we've been doing that. We're having a lot of fun," Mayer said.

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This article first appeared on Las Vegas Raiders on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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