The Las Vegas Raiders are 1-4 heading into a key Week 6 matchup with the Tennessee Titans. Their offense has struggled, especially considering Geno Smith's turnover problems to start his Vegas tenure. But without his top target, it will be difficult for Smith to turn it around. Raiders tight end Brock Bowers missed practice again on Friday with the knee injury that kept him out of Week 5.
“Once again, Raiders TE Brock Bowers (knee) is not practicing,” Ryan McFadden of ESPN reported.
NFL Network's Tom Pelissero followed up with a troubling report. “Raiders HC Pete Carroll indicates TE Brock Bowers will miss another game. He’s expected to be out Sunday vs. the Titans.”
Not long afterward, the talented tight end was ruled out for Week 6.
Bowers had a historic rookie season, racking up over 1,000 yards and finishing second in Rookie of the Year voting. He got off to a roaring start to Year 2, with 103 yards in Week 1, but has not cracked 46 yards in a game since. After missing Week 5 with the PCL injury, he is on the brink of missing another matchup.
The Raiders are relying on their top-end players to drag a shallow roster through the 2025 season. With Ashton Jeanty struggling behind a dismal offensive line and Bowers out, Smith is not in a great position to succeed. Even against a bad Titans team in Week 6, Las Vegas likely won't put together a great offensive game.
After facing the Titans, the Raiders hit the road for an AFC West battle with the Kansas City Chiefs. Week 8 acts as their bye, which should give Bowers plenty of time to get healthy. If they have their tight end for the second half of the season, they could start ripping off wins. But a healthy Bowers is the most important piece of that dream.
The Raiders will have Michael Mayer back at tight end after clearing concussion protocol. While he is not the elite playmaker that Bowers is, he does help raise the floor from what they put on the field in Week 5. Can Mayer help the Raiders beat the Titans?
