The Las Vegas Raiders stepped into the 2025 season carrying fresh energy and renewed hope. With Pete Carroll bringing his championship pedigree as the new head coach and Geno Smith providing veteran leadership at quarterback, the Raiders are building toward a more physical, disciplined identity.
Rookie running back Ashton Jeanty, a first-round pick, brings another dynamic layer to their developing offense. Still, the focal point of Las Vegas’ transformation is second-year tight end Brock Bowers, the player Las Vegas expects will define their attack for years to come.
Is Brock Bowers Playing vs. Chargers?
That optimism hit a bump in Week 1 when Bowers exited the Raiders’ 20-13 win over the Patriots with a knee injury. While Las Vegas pulled out a gritty road victory, seeing their star tight end sidelined right away sparked concern about just how serious the issue might be.
The injury occurred in the third quarter on what appeared to be a routine 38-yard catch-and-run. Bowers was hit along the sideline and remained down briefly before walking off under his own power. He did not return to the game, but the 22-year-old tried to ease concerns afterward.
“Feeling a little better. Just working on it,” Bowers said. “I’m not sure, we’ll see how it’s feeling throughout the week, but I’m hoping to play.”
The Raiders are taking a measured approach with their most valuable offensive weapon. Bowers participated in team walkthroughs while missing Thursday’s practice, suggesting the coaching staff wants to avoid rushing him back too quickly.
Bowers also did not practice on Friday, which was a big concern. However, the extra day of rest before Monday Night Football against the Los Angeles Chargers works in his favor, giving the knee additional time to respond to treatment.
Bowers practiced on Saturday, and Pete Carroll has confirmed that the star tight end is expected to play on Monday.
“Raiders HC Pete Carroll said TE Brock Bowers (knee) practiced today, “looked terrific”, and is expected to play Monday night versus the Chargers,” wrote NFL insider Adam Schefter.
#Raiders TE Brock Bowers is back at practice today
He missed the last two days with that knee injury pic.twitter.com/9IdMV4Rvu2
— Jesse Merrick – Silver & Black Sports Network (@JesseSBSN) September 13, 2025
Carroll revealed after Week 1 that Bowers had lobbied to return, but the medical staff kept him out as a precaution.
Bowers’ Fantasy Outlook
PFSN’s Kyle Soppe wrote this about Bowers’ fantasy outlook for Week 2:
If you’re reading this, you’re aware of what Brock Bowers is, and that’s a machine. We’ve seen him on the professional stage 18 times, and he’s already hit 90 receiving yards seven times.
For context, Justin Jefferson, Puka Nacua, and Ja’Marr Chase all had seven such stat lines through their first 18 career games. In fact, since 2000, Odell Beckham and Victor Cruz are the only players to top seven in that very niche stat that you can now flaunt at your Week 2 watch party.
I’m not worried about the knee injury that he seemed to pick up late last week, and I’m not concerned about Michael Mayer earning a red-zone target. For me, Mayer is Tyler Allgeier to Bowers’ Bijan Robinson, case closed.
You spent up at the position this summer to have a built-in edge every week over your league. While Geno Smith may not be a perfect QB, he certainly looked comfortable in funneling the targets where they needed to go in this offense, and that’s all you care about.
Bowers had 8+ targets in both games against the Chargers last season, and I’d be surprised if he doesn’t make it three-for-three in that regard this week.
Raiders vs. Chargers Week 2 Preview
The Raiders will host the Chargers to close out Week 2 in a rare Monday Night Football doubleheader. The game starts at 10 p.m. Eastern and promises to be a great matchup between two teams with playoff aspirations.
The Chargers are coming off an impressive win against the Kansas City Chiefs in Brazil, whereas the Raiders were able to dampen the New England Patriots’ hype in Week 1.
Both teams’ quarterbacks played phenomenally in their season openers, and will hope to build on that performance tonight.
In the 20-13 win against the Patriots, Smith threw for 362 yards, a touchdown, and an interception. On the other hand, Justin Herbert threw for 318 yards, three touchdowns, and no interceptions in the Chargers’ 27-21 win against the Chiefs.
