The Las Vegas Raiders have arguably the best group of tight ends in the National Football League.
The Raiders built their offense around what is arguably the best group of tight ends in the National Football League. Las Vegas’ offense losing both Brock Bowers and Michael Mayer to injuries this season was arguably the worst case scenario for the Raiders’ offense.
Earlier this week, Raiders Offensive Coordinator Chip Kelly praised Thomas for having a solid offseason and stepping up nicely when the Raiders sustained injuries to the two tight ends in front of him on the depth chart.
Las Vegas Raiders OC Chip Kelly / Darrell Craig Harris, On SI
Las Vegas‘ plans to feature the league’s best tight end in Bowers, and another solid tight end in Mayer has left little room for Thomas to make much of an impact this season. However, he has made the most out of the opportunities he has been given and must continue to do so.
“Yeah, Ian [Thomas], when we picked him up last offseason, we were really, really excited about him. Obviously, you look at it and you say, ‘Oh, you got two tight ends.’ Well, we lost Brock [Bowers] for four or five games there and thank goodness we had Ian here. So, the more he keeps practicing and playing, the more he’s involved,” Kelly said.
“When we lost Jakobi [Meyers], you lost a receiver, part of the answer is, well, maybe we got an extra tight end, and maybe we play a little bit more some tight end formations, just because of what we have available to us. So, I think whenever we’ve asked Ian to do anything, I think he’s really excelled at it.
Nov 17, 2025; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Geno Smith (7) throws a pass during the first half against the Dallas Cowboys at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images / Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images
“That was a big catch for us on that second drive there that got us down into the red zone. So, I’m really pleased with him. We feel like with Brock, with Mike [Michael Mayer] and with Ian, we have got three guys that can really play.”
Kelly noted just how deep the Raiders’ tight end room is from top to bottom. There is only one player like Bowers in the league, but the Raiders are much more talented at tight end than Bowers alone.
Las Vegas Raiders Brock Bowers / Darrell Craig Harris, On SI
“And the other guy who’s really made started to make a name for himself from a special teams standpoint, Carter Runyon, is another tight end that’s really coming along for us too. So, that’s probably the position that we have right now, especially on the offensive side of the ball, that has the most depth, is our tight end position.”
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