Raiders head coach Klint Kubiak labeled Bowers (knee) as day-to-day Monday, Sam Warren of The Athletic reports.
After Bowers underwent a meniscus trim procedure last Tuesday, Adam Schefter of ESPN reported that the star tight end expected to miss only "a game or two" before making his 2026 debut. Though a partial meniscectomy often entails a recovery period closer to one month, Bowers -- who sat out the Raiders' season-opening win over the Dolphins -- appears to be bouncing back well from his operation and looks like he could have a real chance of suiting up next Sunday against the Chargers. Per Ryan McFadden of ESPN.com, Kubiak said that he'll heed the advice of trainers in determining when Bowers will be ready to play, and the 23-year-old's activity in practices is also likely to be a factor in the decision. While Bowers was sidelined for Week 1, Michael Mayer stepped in as the Raiders' top tight end versus Miami and finished with six catches for 32 yards on seven targets.
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Raiders' Brock Bowers: Walking unaided after missing Week 1 win
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Bowers (knee) left the locker room after Sunday's 27-13 win over the Dolphins walking unaided with a sleeve on his left leg, Sam Warren of The Athletic reports.
Warren's encouraging postgame update on Bowers comes hours after Adam Schefter of ESPN reported that Bowers could be back as soon as Week 2 against the Chargers. The star tight end sat out Vegas' Week 1 win over the Dolphins after underdoing a meniscus trim Tuesday.
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Raiders' Brock Bowers: Chance to return in Week 2
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The Raiders believe Bowers (knee) has a chance to return to action Week 2 at the Chargers on Sunday, Sept. 20, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
Bowers underwent a meniscus trim this past Tuesday that will sideline him for the season opener, but Schefter added that "there's a realistic chance" the standout tight end will sit out only Week 1 and then be active next weekend. He likely will need to mix into drills for multiple practices in a row to give Las Vegas' medical staff confidence that he'll be able to handle game action. In any case, Bowers will hand off most of the TE reps to Michael Mayer this Sunday.
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Raiders' Brock Bowers: Coach hopes he'll be back soon
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Raiders coach Klint Kubiak confirmed Friday that Bowers (knee) won't play Sunday against Miami, but Kubiak did say the tight end "will be back soon," per Levi Edwards of the Raiders' official site.
When asked if an absence of 1-to-2 games was an accurate expectation, Kubiak replied, "I'm not going to talk about timelines," per Sam Warren of The Athletic. All eyes will be on Bowers' practice participation (or lack thereof) next week. For now, the Raiders have Michael Mayer ticketed for a large role at tight end, with Ian Thomas and various WRs also in the mix to pick up some unexpected snaps in Bowers' absence this Sunday against the Dolphins.
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Raiders' Brock Bowers: Limited to one snap
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Bowers started Thursday's preseason opener against Arizona and came out of the game after one snap.
The Raiders' other starters, including QB Kirk Cousins and RB Ashton Jeanty, continued to play throughout the opening drive. Not that this needed reinforcement, but the early exit is yet another sign of Bowers' massive importance to the Las Vegas offense. We may not see him again until Week 1 against Miami.
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Raiders' Brock Bowers: Fully healthy ahead of camp
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Bowers (knee) practiced "at full speed" during OTAs and minicamp, Ryan McFadden of ESPN reports.
Bowers was plagued by a knee injury during most of the 2025 campaign and was ultimately placed on IR for the final two weeks of the regular season. However, he's been able to get back to full health during the offseason and has several other factors working in his favor ahead of the 2026 campaign. First, he'll be working with a pair of new quarterbacks in Kirk Cousins and Fernando Mendoza, and Cousins was reportedly enthralled with Bowers during spring workouts. Second, the Raiders brought in Klint Kubiak -- "who has shown the ability to scheme the ball to his best pass catchers" -- as their new coach. Third, Las Vegas currently has an untested WR room, so Bowers is likely to feature at the team's top pass catcher.
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Raiders' Brock Bowers: Contrarian DFS Play
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I wouldn't be surprised if half of the entries in a given contest have Trey McBride or Harold Fannin rostered. And I don't really advise fading them. But if you want to get cute, I would play Brock Bowers. Bowers has averaged over 16 points per game since returning from his knee injury, and his team has their highest implied total in a month against the Giants. It could be another two-touchdown game at a very low roster rate.
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Raiders' Brock Bowers: Does little with six catches
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Bowers brought in six of eight targets for 28 yards in the Raiders' 31-0 loss to the Eagles on Sunday.
Bowers led the Raiders in receptions, targets and even receiving yards on an afternoon during which Kenny Pickett netted just 64 yards on his 15 completions. The talented tight end's production has been capped to an extent this season due to Las Vegas' suboptimal quarterback situation, but Bowers will still head into a tough Week 16 road matchup against the Texans next Sunday afternoon with at least four receptions in five consecutive games.
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Raiders' Brock Bowers: Scores twice in 31-14 loss
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Bowers caught all four of his targets for 63 yards and two touchdowns in Sunday's 31-14 loss to the Chargers.
Bowers tied the game at a touchdown apiece with a six-yard touchdown catch shortly after the two-minute warning in the second quarter, then secured a spectacular one-handed catch for another six-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter. The 2024 first-round pick missed the entire month of October due to a knee injury but bounced back in November, catching 30 of 41 targets for 348 yards and five touchdowns across five games. Bowers should continue to work as the top option in the Raiders' passing game against the Broncos in Week 14.
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Raiders' Brock Bowers: Gains 55 yards Sunday
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Bowers had six receptions on nine targets for 55 yards in Sunday's 24-10 loss to the Browns.
Bowers produced a modest receiving line while finishing second on the team behind WR Tre Tucker in targets (10) and RB Ashton Jeanty in receptions (eight). While the final results were digestible, Bowers' managers are left wondering what could have been had QB Geno Smith looked the star tight end's way more often instead of taking numerous unsuccessful deep shots to Tucker. Poor playcalling and quarterback play aside, Bowers remains an elite fantasy option week in, week out based on pure talent alone. Expect Bowers to remain a focal point of the passing offense for the struggling Raiders in next Sunday's road tilt against the Chargers.
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Raiders' Brock Bowers: Leading receiver on 12 targets
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Bowers finished with seven receptions (on 12 targets) for 72 yards in Monday's 33-16 loss to the Cowboys.
Bowers was able to get back on track following last week's one-catch dud, finishing Monday's loss as the Raiders' leading receiver on a team-high 12 targets. The 22-year-old phenom did suffer a couple of uncharacteristic drops, but the seven receptions still checked in as his second-highest total through seven starts. A healthy Bowers will attempt to make up for time lost to a knee injury earlier in the campaign with a strong run in the second half. His next opportunity to build on a 39-455-3 receiving line will come in a home matchup against the Browns on Sunday.
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Raiders' Brock Bowers: Major downturn in TNF loss
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Bowers brought in one of three targets for 31 yards and rushed once for minus-4 yards in the Raiders' 10-7 loss to the Broncos on Thursday night.
After putting together a career-best yardage total and recording three touchdowns just four days earlier against the Jaguars in a narrow overtime loss, Bowers saw a major downturn in production against a much stingier Broncos defense. The talented tight end did make a nice splash on his one reception and logged a rush attempt for the second straight contest, but he fell victim to another modest night for Las Vegas' air attack. Bowers' upside is above question, but Geno Smith's (quadriceps) ongoing struggles always have the potential to cap the 2024 first-round pick's production. Bowers and the Raiders do have a more palatable matchup next time out, as they'll host the Cowboys for a Monday night Week 11 matchup on Nov. 17.
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Raiders' Brock Bowers: Expected to return after bye
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Bowers (knee), who is officially listed as doubtful for Sunday's game against the Chiefs, is not expected to play, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
Bowers returned to practice as a limited participant Friday after having sat out Wednesday and Thursday, but the second-year tight end is expected to miss a third straight contest due to his lingering PCL injury. The Raiders will then benefit from a Week 8 bye, which Bowers will use to rest up and target a return to action Week 9 against the Jaguars on Sunday, Nov. 2. Michael Mayer will operate as Las Vegas' top tight end if Bowers is indeed inactive, confirmation of which will arrive no later than 90 minutes ahead of Sunday's 1:00 p.m. ET kickoff. Meanwhile, top wide receiver Jakobi Meyers (knee/toe) appears a true game-time decision.
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Raiders' Brock Bowers: Doubtful after limited practice
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Bowers (knee) is listed as doubtful for Sunday's 1:00 p.m. ET game against the Chiefs after logging a limited practice Friday.
Following consecutive DNPs Wednesday and Thursday, Bowers' return to a limited session Friday provides a glimmer of hope that he could suit up Sunday, though his official doubtful designation suggests that the Raiders may be more likely to err on the side of caution with their star tight end this weekend with the team on bye Week 8. If Bowers ends up sidelined for the third straight game, fellow TE Michael Mayer -- who logged five catches (on seven targets) for 50 yards and a TD in the Raiders' Week 6 win over the Titans -- once again would be in line for added opportunities versus Kansas City.
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Raiders' Brock Bowers: At practice Friday
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Bowers (knee) was present for practice Friday, Ryan McFadden of ESPN.com reports.
Bowers didn't practice Wednesday or Thursday, but the tight end's presence at Friday's session offers hope that he could play Sunday against the Chiefs after having missed two straight games. The Raiders' upcoming injury report will reveal both Bowers' official participation level, as well as his Week 7 game status. Las Vegas has a Week 8 bye, so if there's any concern of a possible setback with Bowers' knee, the team could elect to err on the side of caution this week.
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Raiders' Brock Bowers: Not practicing
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Bowers (knee) isn't practicing Wednesday, Ryan McFadden of ESPN.com reports.
Bowers is standing on the sideline in shorts, which comes as no surprise after reports this past weekend suggested he's unlikely to return for Week 7 at Kansas City. He initially suffered a PCL injury and bone bruise in Week 1, and it now seems the goal may be a return after the Raiders' Week 8 bye. TE Michael Mayer filled in admirably during Sunday's 20-10 win over Tennessee, catching five passes for 50 yards and a touchdown on a team-high seven targets (while playing 91 percent of snaps on offense).
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Raiders' Brock Bowers: Likely to remain out through Week 7
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Bowers (knee), who has been ruled out for Sunday's game against the Titans, is considered unlikely to be available for the Raiders' Week 7 contest at Kansas City, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.
Since sustaining a bone bruise and PCL injury in his knee in the Raiders' Week 1 win over the Patriots, Bowers had been noticeably slowed by the issue over Las Vegas' subsequent three contests before he ended up sitting out this past Sunday's 40-6 loss to the Colts. Since Bowers needs rest to fully move past the injury, he was held out of all three Week 6 practices before being ruled out two days in advance of the matchup with Tennessee. Pelissero notes that the Raiders plan to give Bowers "a chance" to play next Sunday against the Chiefs if his knee is feeling better than anticipated after two weeks off from playing in games, but Las Vegas "wants to be smart" with the star tight end before its bye in Week 8. With that in mind, fantasy managers should prepare to have another option available at tight end in place of Bowers until at least Week 9.
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Raiders' Brock Bowers: Won't play versus Titans
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Bowers (knee) has been ruled out for Sunday's game against the Titans.
Coach Pete Carroll acknowledged earlier Friday that Bowers "isn't quite ready yet," per Levi Edwards of the Raiders' official site, and now that the tight end has been officially ruled out, he'll target a possible return to action Sunday, Oct. 19 versus the Chiefs. In Bowers' absence, Michael Mayer, who has been cleared to return from a concussion, is in line to lead the team's TE corps versus Tennessee, a context that makes him worthy of Week 6 fantasy lineup consideration.
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Raiders' Brock Bowers: Not practicing Friday
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Bowers (knee) isn't taking part in Friday's practice, Ryan McFadden of ESPN.com reports.
Bowers didn't suit up this past Sunday at Indianapolis due to a lingering PCL injury and bone bruise in his left knee, and he proceeded to miss all three Week 6 practices. The lack of activity this week isn't much of a surprise, considering coach Pete Carroll called Bowers "week-to-week" Monday, per Paul Gutierrez of the Raiders' official site. The team has yet to rule out Bowers for Sunday's game against the Titans, something that may occur once it posts Friday's injury report.
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Raiders' Brock Bowers: Another missed practice
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Bowers (knee) remained sidelined at practice Thursday, Ryan McFadden of ESPN.com reports.
Bowers, who was sidelined for the first time in his career in last Sunday's 40-6 loss to the Colts, has now missed four straight practices dating back to last week, so what he's able to do during Friday's session will loom large in terms of his chances of playing this weekend against the Titans. If Bowers ends up sitting out a second straight game, Michael Mayer -- who has cleared concussion protocol and practiced fully Wednesday -- would step in as the Raiders' top tight end.
