The Raiders will start the 2026 season without their top weapon.
Tight end Brock Bowers underwent a meniscus trim on Tuesday in Dallas and is expected to miss "a game or two," NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport and ESPN's Adam Schefter reported Wednesday.
Bowers' injury occurred during camp but wasn't diagnosed until last week, leading to this week's procedure, per Rapoport and Schefter.
Wednesday's news represents the latest health-related hurdle encountered by Bowers over the last year. Fresh off a stellar rookie season, Bowers suffered a knee injury early in the 2025 season, forcing him to miss three games in October and hampering the star pass catcher throughout the campaign.
Given an offseason to recover -- which began early when Bowers sat out of the Raiders' final two games of 2025 -- the hope was that Bowers would be able to return fully healthy and at the form he displayed in his first NFL season. His attempt to do so will be interrupted by the surgery, which shouldn't keep him out long, but does inspire some concern about how he'll perform in 2026.
Las Vegas selected Bowers No. 13 overall in the 2024 draft, and it immediately paid off via a 112-catch, 1,194-yard, five-touchdown rookie season for the Georgia product, instantly vaulting Bowers into elite status among NFL tight ends. His health struggles hindered Las Vegas' offense tremendously in 2025, underscoring his importance to the Raiders' offensive plans.
They'll begin 2026 in a familiar place without him while maintaining hope this is merely a bump in Bowers' road.
Las Vegas hosts the Miami Dolphins at 4:25 p.m. ET on Sunday.
