The Las Vegas Raiders will be without their star tight end for potentially two games after it was announced that he underwent a procedure.
The Las Vegas Raiders have a roster loaded with young talent, but the team will be without their star tight end for potentially the first two games of the season.
The 23-year-old TE Brock Bowers was a late scratch from the Raiders' practice Wednesday, sparking rumors that he might be injured.
Those rumors came to fruition when ESPN's Adam Schefter posted an update on the status of Bowers early Wednesday afternoon.
"Raiders All-Pro tight end Brock Bowers underwent a meniscus trim Tuesday in Dallas with Dr. Daniel Cooper and now is expected to miss “a game or two”, Schefter reported. "Bowers got banged up “a little in camp” and the injury was diagnosed last week and surgery scheduled.
Bowers had 64 receptions on 86 targets for 680 yards last season, scoring seven touchdowns in the 12 games he played in.
The 23-year-old is arguably the best at his position in the NFL, and was widely expected to be one of the highlights of the Raiders' offense this season.
Now, Las Vegas will be without their star for at least the season opener on Sunday, Sept. 13 when the team hosts the Miami Dolphins to kick off their 2026-27 season. Worst-case scenario, the Raiders will also be without Bowers when they travel to LA to take on the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 2 on Sunday, Sept. 20.
Looking on the bright side, Bowers is not expected to be out long-term. However, his absence seriously hurts the Raiders, who would have liked to start the season on a high note.
Shortly after the news broke, Schefter followed up the announcement by noting Las Vegas' game plan moving forward.
"Raiders TE Michael Mayer was already going to be a part of the team’s attack - and his role now is expected to grow without Brock Bowers." Schefter wrote.
Mayer is heading into his fourth season with the team, but has yet to find his footing.
The 25-year-old had just 35 receptions on 50 targets for 328 yards last year, only finding the end zone one time in the 13 games he saw the field.
How this affects the Raiders' game plan moving forward is yet to be seen, but it opens the door for the team to run the ball through running back Ashton Jeanty and look for wide receivers Jalen Nailor and Tre Tucker more than originally planned.
For the fans who were eagerly awaiting to see the connection between Bowers and newly acquired quarterback Kirk Cousins, that will have to wait at least one more week.
Bowers' recovery will now be a situation to monitor in Vegas, with no direct timeline for a return aside from the aforementioned prediction of either a Week 2 or Week 3 return to action.
