Brock Bowers’ Week 2 availability is very much in play after the Las Vegas Raiders had to make do without him in their opener against the Miami Dolphins.
Bowers sat out Week 1 after undergoing a meniscus trim on his knee during the lead-up to the game, leaving the Raiders to patch things together at tight end. They got by against Miami, but the margin for error figures to shrink against tougher opponents.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Raiders are holding out real hope that Bowers could be back as soon as next week’s trip to face the Los Angeles Chargers.
“After undergoing a meniscus trim Tuesday, the Raiders believe there’s a realistic chance Brock Bowers will miss only one game and return for Week 2 at the Los Angeles Chargers, per sources,” Schefter said.
“Team will see how he’s feeling this week, but a potential return next week is within the realm of possibility,” Schefter added.
If Bowers doesn’t make it back for Week 2, Week 3 would appear to be the next likely target.
The first official injury report of the week comes out Wednesday, which should give the clearest update yet. Even limited practice work would be a step forward, since Bowers didn’t participate in any session last week.
In his absence, Michael Mayer handled the bulk of the tight end work in Week 1, with Ian Thomas and Chris Myarick also getting involved. Mayer finished with six catches for 32 yards, which makes him a shaky fantasy option going forward rather than a player to lock into lineups.
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