Raiders’ No. 1 WR ready for an encore heading into contract year
Jakobi Meyers is coming off the first 1,000-yard season of his career and is preparing to enter a season as the Raiders’ unquestioned No. 1 wide receiver for the first time.
But he doesn’t want to forget the grind that got him to this point.
“Same (stuff), different day,” Meyers said after the Raiders’ workout at their Henderson headquarters Thursday.
The 28-year-old, despite catching 87 passes for 1,027 yards last season, still sees himself as the kind of player who is just as excited to throw a key block as he is to go deep and make a big play.
He’s not going to alter his approach, even though he’s been atop the Raiders’ depth chart since Davante Adams was traded to the Jets in October.
“I’ve been doing this since I got in the league,” Meyers said. “Nothing changed. I’m really just trying to make plays and go about my business.”
‘A team effort’
Some things have changed for Meyers, of course.
He was often considered one of the NFL’s most underrated players, but a 1,000-yard campaign is the kind of thing that makes fans take notice.
It was clear his teammates wanted him to reach the milestone last season. The ball kept coming to him in the Raiders’ final game Jan. 5, and Meyers finished with nine catches for 123 yards.
He insisted that achievement only happened because of the help of his teammates, the organization and a lot of other people.
“A lot of people are really happy about the work they put into it, and I appreciate that, because it was a team effort,” Meyers said. “It wasn’t just me going out there, running around, catching passes. I had guys who helped me watch film, guys who’d throw to me when nobody was around, guys who just kept me uplifted mentally when things didn’t look good. So, shout out to all of them, because that was a group achievement. I enjoyed it.”
‘I want to be here’
Meyers, who is listed at 6-foot-2, 200 pounds, could reap the rewards financially if he keeps things up. He’s entering the final season of the three-year, $33 million contract he signed with the Raiders in March 2023.
Meyers could come to terms with the team on an extension, but he declined to say whether negotiations have started.
“I want to be here, for sure, but that’s all I can really say on it right now,” he said. “That’s business between us and the top floor. So, I’m going to just hold that one down for now.”
Meyers, at the moment, is more focused on helping his team win games than what his next contract will look like.
His determination is the main reason he’s in line for a sizable raise.
He earned his opportunities after going undrafted out of N.C. State in 2019 and worked his way up the Patriots’ depth chart before departing as a free agent. He started as the Raiders’ No. 2 wide receiver behind Adams, but thrived once Adams left the team.
The return game
Meyers will begin the 2025 season with a Week 1 game back in New England. It’s a matchup he’s looking forward to.
“How could you not (notice right away)?” Meyers said, smiling. “That was home for a long time. I had a lot of good memories there. So, I’m truly excited to go back in and play there, see the crowd, see the place and get a (win). That would be cool.”
Meyers is entering the season working with his third coach and third offensive coordinator with the Raiders in Pete Carroll and Chip Kelly, respectively.
He admitted the turnover is a challenge, but he said it’s just part of the business. He said Carroll has given the team a boost.
“I will give a big nod to Pete, honestly,” Meyers said. “I don’t know how he’s doing it. It’s got to be some type of drug out there or something. I mean, he’s got a lot of energy, man.”
Carroll also has a solid No. 1 wide receiver to rely on in Meyers. One that’s ready to do everything possible to replicate the success he had last year.
Contact Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AdamHillLVRJ on X.
