An undrafted free agent out of Bowling Green, Bayer signed with the Rams after the 2014 NFL Draft. By late July, he was listed as the sixth tight end on the depth chart behind fellow hopefuls Mason Brodine and Justice Cunningham. In the Rams' first preseason game, Brodine fractured his ankle ending his 2014 season. And what was shaping up like a Bayer-Cunningham battle for a single roster spot bloomed into open slots for both to make the 53-man roster.
Where Cunningham wasn't offered an opportunity to put his blocking specialties on the field in 2014, Bayer featured in special teams in six games.