Brock Bowers will practice Wednesday as the Raiders star moves closer to potentially making his 2026 season debut against the Saints.
The Las Vegas Raiders are getting another encouraging sign that star tight end Brock Bowers could be closing in on his season debut.
Head coach Klint Kubiak said Wednesday that Bowers will practice as Las Vegas begins preparations for Sunday's road game against the New Orleans Saints.
Kubiak continues to consider Bowers day-to-day as the tight end works his way back from a procedure on his left knee.
Bowers has missed the Raiders' first two games after undergoing a meniscus trim on Sept. 8.
He returned to practice for the first time since the procedure last Friday, but was limited and listed as doubtful for Sunday's game against the Los Angeles Chargers.
Bowers went through a pregame workout before the Raiders' 26-14 victory but ultimately remained sidelined.
His participation Wednesday represents another step forward.
Last week, Bowers missed practice Wednesday and Thursday before returning in a limited capacity Friday. Starting this week on the practice field gives him much more time to show his knee is ready for game action.
Kubiak expressed optimism last week that Bowers could return against New Orleans if he couldn't play against the Chargers.
Bowers' eventual return would give quarterback Kirk Cousins another major weapon in an offense that has opened the season 2-0 without its star tight end.
Michael Mayer has handled the bulk of the tight end work in Bowers' absence. He has nine catches for 55 yards on 11 targets through two games.
Bowers caught 64 passes for 680 yards and seven touchdowns in 12 games last season, ranking second among NFL tight ends in receptions per game.
The Raiders still aren't committing to Bowers playing Sunday, and his progress through the rest of practice will ultimately determine his availability.
But after missing the first two games of the season, Bowers is beginning Week 3 on the practice field with another opportunity to move closer to his 2026 debut.
