Raiders coach Pete Carroll and QB Geno Smith once made skeptics eat their words in Seattle. Now reunited in Las Vegas, they impressed in Week 1, as Smith turned in a 362-passing-yard day to lift the Raiders to a 20-13 victory over the Patriots.
After the win, all eyes have shifted to TE Brock Bowers after he suffered a knee injury in the second half. Bowers limped off the field following a low hit near the sideline, then spent time in the injury tent, and was later ruled questionable to return.
The good news? Bowers himself downplayed the concern afterward. When asked by NFL Network's Tom Pelissero after the game, the second-year star said "he’s fine. Took a little hit on the knee, came out to get checked out. No concerns moving forward."
All indications are Bowers will be good to go for the final game of Week 2 on Monday night vs. the Chargers, giving him ample time to be ready to take the field.
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Will Raiders TE Brock Bowers Play in Week 2?
All signs point to Bowers suiting up in Week 2, barring any setbacks, though it will be important to keep an eye on practice reports. He gets an extra day of rest before the Monday night matchup.
He was moving well on the sideline after the initial scare and gave a confident update postgame. The Raiders coaching staff is expected to monitor his workload in practice this week, but there’s no indication this will be a long-term issue.
That’s massive news for Las Vegas, given how much the offense runs through him.
In Week 1, Bowers was off to another blistering start before exiting, posting 5 catches for 103 yards in just over two quarters. He worked his way up to a 72% snap share as the game went on, despite the injury, as he got into more of a rhythm with Smith.
If there’s any lingering issue at all, backup TE Michael Mayer will step into a larger role. If you're playing fantasy football, since this week's game is on Monday, Mayer may be worth a stash.
Mayer is more of a blocker than a receiving threat, but he can keep the offense on schedule if Bowers is limited.
Brock Bowers: Fantasy Football Outlook
Fantasy players can breathe easy for now. Bowers is not only the cornerstone of this passing attack, but he’s also one of the most reliable weekly plays in all of fantasy football.
He led all NFL tight ends with 112 receptions and 1,194 yards last season — numbers that also set franchise records for the Raiders.
The expectation is that he’ll remain a top-2 option at the position in 2025. He finished with 26 routes run, and a team-high 50 YAC. Even if the Raiders manage his snaps slightly in Week 2, Bowers doesn’t need heavy volume to deliver like a top 10 TE.
Fantasy owners should continue to treat him as an automatic TE1. If anything, his hot start in Week 1 before the injury shows he might be in for an even bigger season than last year.
Brock Bowers Projections vs. Chargers, Week 2
Bowers' projections are live on PrizePicks for NFL Week 2 for Monday Night Football vs. the Chargers ,which is another positive sign that he is expected to play.
- 63.5 Receiving Yards
- 0.5 Rush+Rec TD (Demon)
You can win real money by picking More or Less on Bowers' projections on PrizePicks — it's the simplest way to play get real money action on every NFL game.
