The Raiders will have to open the season without the player who’s become the centerpiece of their passing game. Brock Bowers, a two-time Pro Bowler, will not be in uniform when Las Vegas faces the Miami Dolphins on Sunday.
That’s a major early hit for an offense that leans heavily on Bowers’ ability to stress defenses and create mismatches. He caught seven touchdown passes last season, even while missing time with injuries, and his presence has quickly turned him into one of the league’s top tight ends.
Now the Raiders have to adjust on the fly. Michael Mayer is expected to start at tight end, and he brings a solid résumé of his own: 35 catches for 328 yards and a touchdown last season, plus 32 career starts with Las Vegas.
Bowers had a meniscus trim procedure in Dallas on Tuesday, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter and NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. The injury reportedly happened during training camp, but it wasn’t diagnosed until last week.
Raiders All-Pro tight end Brock Bowers underwent a meniscus trim Tuesday in Dallas with Dr. Daniel Cooper and now is expected to miss “a game or two”, league sources told @rapsheet and me. Bowers got banged up “a little in camp” and the injury was diagnosed last week and surgery… pic.twitter.com/42ANGHbYSC
- Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 9, 2026
The expectation is that Bowers will miss one to two games after the procedure, which puts Sunday’s opener out of reach and leaves his status for Week 2 against the Chargers uncertain. Head coach Klint Kubiak has not officially ruled him out beyond Week 1, but the expectation is that he sits.
If the timeline holds, Bowers’ next realistic shot to return could be Week 3 against the Saints. Until then, the Raiders will be relying on Mayer to help carry the load while their top playmaker recovers.
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