Brock Bowers remained on the sideline Wednesday as the Raiders opened their Week 2 practice schedule, keeping their most dangerous mismatch weapon in doubt for Sunday’s road game against the Chargers.
The absence continues an already murky timeline after Bowers underwent a meniscus trim last week. Raiders coach Klint Kubiak again called the star tight end “day-to-day” and expressed hope that he could practice before the end of the week.
“That’s my hope,” Kubiak said Wednesday. “Just keep getting them better every day.”
ESPN’s Dan Graziano reported that the injury is “not overly serious” and that Las Vegas believed Bowers could have played in Week 1 if necessary. The Raiders, however, will not bring him back until they are confident the knee is no longer limiting him.
“I believe the latest you’ll see Bowers is Week 4 against the Chiefs, but again, it could be sooner than that,” Graziano wrote.
The opener showed both why Las Vegas can afford patience and why Bowers’ return still matters.
The Raiders preserved their tight-end-heavy structure during a 27-13 victory over Miami. Michael Mayer played 55 of 68 offensive snaps and caught six of seven targets for 32 yards, days after receiving a three-year, $45 million extension.
Mayer gave Kirk Cousins a dependable short-area target, but he could not replicate Bowers’ ability to stretch the field, create after the catch and threaten defenses from several alignments.
Running back Ashton Jeanty led Las Vegas with 45 receiving yards and matched Mayer’s six catches, illustrating how heavily Cousin’s leaned on underneath options.
The Raiders proved they can function without Bowers. His return would raise the offense’s ceiling considerably and give the Chargers a far more complicated matchup to solve.
Whether that happens Sunday may hinge on what Bowers can show Thursday and Friday.
