Las Vegas Raiders tight end Brock Bowers had a stellar rookie campaign, and the Raiders have been looking for him to have a repeat performance in the 2025 NFL season. Bowers has played in four games so far, but he missed the team’s Week 5 game because of a knee injury.
As the Raiders get ready to play in Week 6 against the Tennessee Titans, Raiders head coach Pete Carroll had been hoping that Bowers could return but it’s not worked out.
What’s the Status of the Raiders’ Brock Bowers?
Bowers, who played his college ball at Georgia, has been dealing with a PCL injury he originally suffered in Week 1 against the Patriots. Anyone that watches tight ends play knows that a good one needs to be fully healthy when either running routes or protecting the quarterback.
On Friday, Carroll revealed that Bowers will not be ready for Sunday. “We’re not quite there yet,” Carroll said.
#Raiders HC Pete Carroll said Bowers is not expected to play on Sunday vs. Titans.
“We’re not quite there yet.”
— Ryan McFadden (@ryanmcfadden_) October 10, 2025
In his four games this season, Bowers has 19 catches for 225 yards and no touchdowns. Last season, Bowers started in 16 games and had 112 receptions for 1,194 yards and five touchdown grabs.
Carroll’s news on Bowers wasn’t too surprising. Bowers did not practice on Wednesday or Thursday in any capacity. Carroll even said on Thursday that he was taking the Bowers situation as “day-to-day.” Well, Carroll ultimately confirmed what Raiders fans didn’t want to hear.
Bowers was a first-round draft choice (13th overall) for Las Vegas in the 2024 NFL Draft, and he was expected to serve as the centerpiece of the offense once again in Carroll’s first season at the helm.
According to the PFSN NFL Offense Impact metrics, the 1-4 Raiders have a 65.6 Offense Impact score and a D grade. Chip Kelly is in his first year as the Raiders’ offensive coordinator, and those numbers underscore how rocky the start of his tenure has been.
Starting quarterback Geno Smith has had difficulty in getting the Raiders’ offense in gear. Without Bowers on the field, that’ll mean Smith has to find other additional receiving options. The Raiders are also coming off a 40-6 beatdown at the hands of the Indianapolis Colts, one where Smith threw two more interceptions to push his season total to nine.
The Titans are coming into Sunday’s game off a thrilling 22-21 Week 5 victory over the Arizona Cardinals. Rookie first overall pick Cam Ward threw for a career-high 265 yards while displaying an especially impressive connection with veteran No. 1 receiver Calvin Ridley.
When will Bowers return to the field? That’s obviously still up in the air. Carroll wants nothing more than to see his dynamic tight end on the receiving end of passes from Smith. The Raiders are in danger of falling to 1-5, and while it’s still early in the season, that’s not a good look for a team led by a Super Bowl-winning coach in Carroll.