Brock Bowers came back in Week 3, but the more interesting wrinkle for the Raiders wasn’t just his return from a meniscus trim. It was where they chose to line him up.
The Georgia product missed the first two games of the season, a stretch that had plenty of fans and fantasy owners on edge. When he finally got back on the field against the Saints, the Raiders didn’t just plug him back in as a traditional tight end. They moved him around.
Bowers was used at outside wide receiver for multiple snaps against New Orleans, a spot he doesn’t normally occupy. And it wasn’t just window dressing. The alignment produced results.
The Athletic’s Ted Nguyen pointed it out on social media after watching Bowers beat a corner for a first down on third down.
Lined up outside again. Beats a corner for a first on third down. https://t.co/jgTiTthrzT pic.twitter.com/KdfpY7SsqV
- Ted Nguyen (@FB_FilmAnalysis) September 27, 2026
Nguyen also noted that Bowers took a snap in the backfield.
That kind of usage fits with what the Raiders are trying to build under new head coach Klint Kubiak. Kubiak has a reputation for offensive creativity, and he appears ready to move Bowers all over the formation rather than keep him locked in one role.
At 6-foot-4 and 235 pounds, Bowers already has the kind of frame that makes defensive coordinators uneasy. He also has the production to back it up. He holds the NFL record for most receptions by a rookie with 112, along with a range of other records.
So the question now is simple: if the Raiders keep putting him on the perimeter, does the record book keep growing too? That will depend on how often Kubiak keeps sending his tight end out wide.
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