The Las Vegas Raiders can breathe a sigh of relief ahead of their Week 2 matchup with the Los Angeles Chargers. Star tight end Brock Bowers appears on track to shed his injury tag and face the Chargers on Sunday.
After missing practice on Thursday and Friday, Bowers returned to the field on Saturday, ESPN's Ryan McFadden reported. Although Saturday's session is merely a final walkthrough, Bowers' return puts him on track to play in Week 2.
Head coach Pete Carroll added that Bowers “looked terrific” in practice and expects him to play on Sunday, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.
Bowers had been dealing with a knee injury that he suffered in Week 1 against the New England Patriots. The issue did not stop him from picking up right where he left off in 2024, as Bowers racked up a team-high 103 receiving yards.
Bowers is coming off a historic 2024 season, during which he set the record for the most receptions by a rookie in NFL history with 112. Bowers also broke Mike Ditka's record for the most receiving yards by a rookie tight end with 1,194.
Barring a setback, the second-year sensation gets an exploitable Chargers defense in Week 2. Los Angeles allowed 35-year-old Travis Kelce to break free on multiple occasions in Week 1. Kelce ended with 47 receiving yards and caught Patrick Mahomes' lone touchdown of the game.
Raiders look to begin 2025 season 2-0 against Chargers
The Raiders are coming off a 20-13 win over the Patriots in Week 1 to kickstart the John Spytek and Pete Carroll era. The win gives them a considerable amount of momentum heading into conference play as they return to Las Vegas for their home opener against the Chargers in Week 2.
Both teams enter the matchup with 1-0 records after pulling off upset victories in Week 1. The Chargers have all the momentum following their upset victory over the Kansas City Chiefs, but are forced to deal with a brutal travel schedule. Los Angeles kicked off its 2025 season in Brazil and is now playing its first true road game of the year in Las Vegas.
The Chargers are still closing as the betting favorites, even with Bowers likely remaining in the lineup. Los Angeles is currently a 3.5-point favorite to begin the 2025 season 2-0.
