The Las Vegas Raiders were on top of the world after Week 1, but they’re inching closer and closer to hitting rock bottom. Since defeating the New England Patriots, 20-13, the Raiders have fallen to 1-4. In that four-game span, they’ve been outscored, 139-63. After putting up stellar numbers in his rookie season, TE Brock Bowers has been dealing with some injury issues that are clearly holding him back.
Las Vegas Raiders HC Pete Carroll Comments on TE Brock Bowers’ Week 6 Status
On paper, one would expect the Raiders to have no issues handling the Tennessee Titans. Tennessee has the same record, 1-4, and needed all the luck in the world to take down the Arizona Cardinals. Without RB Emari Demercado dropping the ball at the 1-yard line or an insane scamble touchdown, the Titans would’ve lost their 11th straight. Regardless, they picked up the win and head to Las Vegas in Week 6.
The big question for the Titans is, do they have to match up against Bowers? At this point, Carroll is unsure, “Brock is week to week,” the team’s head coach said. His response didn’t shed much light on his knee injury, but it gave Raiders fans hope that he could return to play against the Titans. Bowers’ absence in Week 5 was crucial for numerous reasons, but it marked the first game he’s missed in his short career.
“Brock is week to week.” – #Raiders coach Pete Carroll, on TE Brock Bowers
— Paul Gutierrez (@PaulHGutierrez) October 6, 2025
Last week, Bowers said he couldn’t talk about the specifics of his injury. That raised a red flag for not just Raiders fans but also NFL fans. The 22-year-old being instructed not to talk about his injury raises plenty of room for concern. Ultimately, that led to him not suiting against the Indianapolis Colts in Week 5. QB Geno Smith struggled mightily as his turnover struggles continued and the team was embarrassed, 40-6.
Smith is 25th in the league with a C- grade in PFSN’s QB Impact metric. Bowers, last year’s top tight end, would love to get the veteran back on track. In the four games he’s played, Bowers is third on the team with 19 receptions for 225 yards. He’s yet to cross the goal line this season, but he’s tied for third with three plays of 20+ yards.
Bowers, who had five touchdowns in the 2024 season, would love to return to form. The Raiders are going to take the cautious approach, but they don’t have a lot of time to waste. With their Week 8 Bye looming, Carroll has to ask the question of whether it’s worth keeping Bowers out of action for their next two games to get him that extra week of rest.