The Las Vegas Raiders came into 2025 with high hopes that this would be the season they returned to winning. Unfortunately, it has not worked out that way as they currently sit at 2-13 at the bottom of not just the AFC West but the entire AFC.
Now, there is more bad news regarding star tight end Brock Bowers, and it has playoff implications for fantasy football leagues.
What Is the Status of Raiders TE Brock Bowers?
The Raiders suffered a heartbreaking 21-23 loss to the Houston Texans in Week 16. Their struggling offense was just not able to overcome the best defense in the NFL, according to PFSN’s Defense Impact metric.
Bowers, who has been one of the best tight ends in the league, found his impact minimized but still scored a touchdown in the second quarter. Fantasy owners everywhere have been counting on Bowers’ consistent production all season.
It makes fans wonder how much more Bowers would have been able to do if he hadn’t been hampered by a knee injury, which he sustained in Week 1. Now, Tom Pelissaro is reporting that the Raiders have chosen to place Bowers on the injured reserve, effectively ending his season.
According to a post on X, Pelissaro said, “The Raiders are placing star TE Brock Bowers on injured reserve today, officially ending his season, per source. Bowers has dealt with a knee injury since Week 1. With playoffs long out of reach, the decision was made to get it taken care of now and focus on being 100% in 2026.”
The Raiders are placing star TE Brock Bowers on injured reserve today, officially ending his season, per sources.
Bowers has dealt with a knee injury since Week 1. With playoffs long out of reach, the decision was made to get it taken care of now and focus on being 100% in 2026. pic.twitter.com/6MipUECoO9
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) December 24, 2025
The 23-year-old is in his second season with the Raiders after being drafted 13th overall in 2024, after helping the Georgia Bulldogs win two national championships. He had a tremendous rookie season, catching 112 passes for 1,194 yards with five touchdowns.
Fantasy owners excitedly snatched Bowers up this season, but injuries have limited him to just 12 games. Regardless, he still leads the Raiders in receptions (64), receiving yards (680), and receiving touchdowns (7).
Now that Bowers is out, fantasy managers will need to drop him immediately and find a replacement. Fellow second-year tight end Michael Mayer will step up for Bowers and will see increased playing time while Bowers is out, making him an option for desperate managers.
