The Las Vegas Raiders walked out of Allegiant Stadium on Sunday with a 27-13 win over the Miami Dolphins. What was most impressive is that they did it without their best offensive player, All-Pro tight end Brock Bowers. Just days before their Week 1 matchup, Raiders head coach Klint Kubiak announced that Bowers would undergo a meniscus trim procedure on his knee and would miss the Dolphins game.
At the time, Kubiak said Bowers was expected to miss "a game or two," but given his injury history and similar situations with other players, some feared he could be out much longer than that. Apparently, Kubiak wasn't lying. On Monday, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that Kubiak now considers Bowers "day-to-day" after the meniscus procedure.
More news: Jim Harbaugh Calls Out Chargers After Massive Upset Loss to Cardinals With Bowers out, fourth-year tight end Michael Mayer stepped up, hauling in six catches on seven targets for 32 yards in Sunday's win over Miami. He led the team in targets and was Kirk Cousins' safety valve for much of the game. But he's no Brock Bowers.
In his 2024 rookie season, Bowers hauled in 112 catches on 153 targets for 1,194 yards and five touchdowns, leading all NFL tight ends in catches, targets, and receiving yards. His 2025 season was cut short to just 12 games due to a nagging knee injury, a PCL issue, and a bone bruise in his left knee. His numbers were modest, finishing with just 680 yards and seven touchdowns on 64 catches, though many believed the injury also impacted his performance in the games he did play.
More news: Rams HC Sean McVay Admits Costly Mistake With Myles Garrett More news: Michael Irvin Sounds Off on Cowboys After Brutal Loss to Giants That's why when he popped up late on the injury report with another knee issue this year, fans immediately panicked. But it looks like that concern can be put to rest for now. If Bowers is considered day-to-day at this point, there's a very real chance he'll suit up Week 2 against the Chargers.
The Raiders head to Los Angeles on Sunday, with kickoff set for 4:05 p.m.
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