Raiders' Brock Bowers snatches NFL rookie record from Malik Nabers in Week 18

The Las Vegas Raiders are not one of the teams going to dance in the upcoming NFL playoffs. Instead, they have a long offseason ahead, as they finish the 2024 NFL regular season with just a 4-13 record following a 34-20 home loss at the hands of the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday. While Las Vegas' future has plenty of questions, the Raiders have at least one encouraging player they could continue to lean on in the future in the form of tight end Brock Bowers.

The former Georgia Bulldogs star shined anew for the Raiders in their final game of the 2024 campaign, with Bowers overtaking fellow first-year pro and New York Giants star wide receiver Malik Nabers for an NFL rookie record, per Las Vegas' official X (formerly Twitter) account.

“TE Brock Bowers (@brockbowers17) now has 110 catches in 2024, passing Malik Nabers (109) to officially secure the NFL record for most receptions by a rookie at any position in #NFL history,” the Raiders announced on Sunday.

Against the Chargers, the 22-year-old Bowers racked up a total of 50 receiving yards and a touchdown on four catches and nine targets. Bowers' 12-yard touchdown reception with under a minute left in regulation was his fifth of the 2024 NFL season and first since the Raiders' Week 13 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs on the road. He concluded his first year in the NFL with 1,194 receiving yards, coming just six yards short of becoming the ninth tight end in the history of the NFL to reach the 1,200-yard plateau in a season.

Nevertheless, what Bowers, selected 13th overall by Las Vegas in the 2024 NFL draft, has managed to do in his rookie NFL season can't be understated. Despite a mediocre Raiders quarterback situation, Bowers found a way to stand out and become a legitimate downfield threat right away for Las Vegas, which concludes its 2024 season with just a 4-13 record.