Raiders offense: Jakobi Meyers a model of consistency

Wide receiver is second-most pass catcher for Las Vegas this year

With 904 yards on the season, Jakobi Meyers established a new career-high mark receiving total thus far.

The Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver has one game left on the 2024 campaign slate and is just 96 yards shy of his first 1,000-yard season in the NFL.

Can he get there?

The 28-year-old North Carolina State product eclipsed the 96-yards receiving mark three times over the course of the season: 105 yards against the Cincinnati Bengals, 121 against the Denver Broncos (the second go-around), and 97 against the Kansas City Chiefs (also round two). Thus, it’s plausible.

Over the last four games, though, Meyers high-water mark was a 67-yard effort against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. In the Raiders’ back-to-back wins (against the Jacksonville Jaguars and New Orleans Saints), Meyers recorded 41 yards and 61 yards receiving, respectively.

One could surmise Meyers’ production — or lack thereof — stems from Las Vegas boasting an offensive rookie of the year candidate. And yes, while superstar rookie tight end Brock Bowers dominates the headlines for the Raiders’ offense, Meyers is a model for consistency during the 2024 campaign, too.

On the year, Meyers has 119 targets for 78 receptions and 904 yards with three touchdowns. He’s started in all 14 games he’s played this season, which is two less than Bowers. The prized rookie, in comparison, has a team-leading 144 targets for 108 receptions and 1,144 yards with four touchdowns.

So the misnomer that Bowers has that kind of gaudy production because Las Vegas has no other viable pass catcher is pedantic drivel.

Thus, as the Raiders (4-12 overall) embark on the regular season finale against the visiting and playoff-bound Los Angeles Chargers (10-6) this Sunday afternoon, it’ll be intriguing to see if Meyers reaches the 1,000-yard mark plateau. When the two AFC West foes met in the regular season opener, Meyers was targeted three times and hauled in each of those throws for 61 yards.

That Week 1 matchup seems like a lifetime ago as the Raiders were decimated by injuries this season and it’s Aidan O’Connell throwing the football now, not former starter Gardner Minshew.

O’Connell was asked about Meyers being in play for his first 1,000-yard season and if that holds importance to the second-year quarterback.

“Yeah. I mean, I definitely think so,” O’Connell started responding to the question during his mid-week media availability. “I think really, any person like Jakobi [Meyers] on our team that’s been working hard all year. And obviously, Jakobi, I think more than anything wants to win. But I think he deserves the recognition that he’s getting and he’s played unbelievable football this year. And really anything that comes for Jakobi, I think he deserves and I think it would be awesome to get him to that landmark. But again, I think if you’d ask Jakobi, he cares about winning, and he’s fiercely competitive. So really anything to get better and help a team, I think he’s good for.”

With veteran running back Ameer Abdullah ailing with a foot injury (he’s missed practice for the majority of the week) and doubtful to play, Las Vegas may go more aerial in the season finale. Which could mean plenty of looks for Meyers and Bowers against the Bolts.

Even if Meyers falls short of the 1,000-yard mark this season, it doesn’t diminish the production he’s provided since joining the Silver & Black as a free agent after the 2022 season from the New England Patriots.

The 6-foot-2 and 200-pound wideout runs crisp routes, has reliable hands (charted for only one drop by Pro Football Reference this season; only two last season), and provides an ample target for Raiders quarterbacks.

While his touchdowns have dipped in 2024 (eight in 2023 to just four this year), in 30 games as a Raider, Meyers drew 225 targets and hauled in 149 passes for 1,711 yards and 11 touchdowns. He’s also rushed for two scores and threw for another touchdown, too.

Meyers is proving to be well-worth the three-year $33 million contract he inked with Las Vegas. He’s under contract for next year (final season of the pact) and holds a $14.992-plus million cap number. Even with that cap number, it’s difficult to see Meyers in anything but Silver & Black next season.

If the Raiders were to cut the receiver (post-June 1 designation), it’d leave $3.992-plus million in dead cap in 2025 along with twin $2.159 million dead cap hits in 2026 and 2027. While it would save Las Vegas nearly over $13 million in cap space to jettison Meyers, the cap number is manageable and the production Meyers puts forth with the quarterbacks the Raiders trotted out this season showcases just how valuable the wide receiver truly is. Not to mention, Las Vegas is projected to have about $108 million in cap space this offseason. Meaning, the Raiders aren’t hurting in terms of financials.

Series History: The regular season finale this Sunday marks the 131st time the Raiders and Chargers will clash. The Silver & Black lead the overall series 69-59-2 (1-0 in postseason action) but it’s the Bolts that won the regular season opener 22-10 back on September 8. The two teams have traded off wins and losses dating back to the Raiders 35-32 win over the Chargers on Jan. 9, 2022. The longest streak belongs to Chargers as they won 13-straight games from the end of the 2003 season to 2009.

Quote of Note:

“For sure. Unfortunately, we continue to talk about that skid of 10 or 11 weeks, whatever it was, it was not ideal. So, I think it’s frustrating, but at the same time, you try to enjoy the wins while you have them and you realize, as I continue to say, how hard it is to win and just try to move on after the win. Celebrate and then get to the next game and do it again.” —Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Aidan O’Connell on if there’s any frustration on late-season success knowing perhaps it could’ve happened earlier