Raiders Hope Different Approach To Familiar Issue Equals Better Results

The Las Vegas Raiders will be without star tight end Brock Bowers in Week 1 against the Miami Dolphins. The Raiders entered the season with one of the deepest groups of tight ends in the league, largely because of Bowers' presence. When healthy, he is arguably the best tight end in the league.

Bowers was a major selling point for the Raiders in their pitch to head coach Klint Kubiak during the hiring process. Bowers is that crucial a player on and off the field. Las Vegas will be without Bowers in Week 1 and likely for a few weeks beyond that, despite the optimistic recovery time frame given.

Major Loss

It is hard to describe how big a loss Bowers is to the Raiders, especially early in the season, after how ready he looked during training camp. It appeared this would be the best version of Bowers yet. That could still be the case, but it will have to wait.

Las Vegas will turn to the rest of the tight ends on their roster to help carry the load. The coaching staff has emphasized developing the depth on the roster. Bowers' absence gives them a chance to do so early in the season, since player development does not stop when the regular season begins.

"It's a 17-game season. The thing that I would say is, 'In a 17-game season, we have a 70- man roster.' So, there's going to be different opportunities for each and every single player on this roster at different points between each season,” Raiders offensive coordinator Andrew Janocko said.

“We prep each week as a different week. We prep each week to get our guys ready to go. Whoever's available, whoever's not available, we're prepping to get the guys that we have ready to go, get the best out of them, do what they do well, and give us the best chance to win."

Michael Mayer and Ian Thomas will lead the position group until Bowers returns from an injury. Las Vegas hopes things go well enough that they do not need to rush Bowers back prematurely.

Eerily Familiar

This will mark the second season the Raiders will be without one of their best offensive players early in the season, while also featuring a new head coach, quarterback, and offensive coordinator. Yet, it gives Kubiak's Raiders a chance to learn from adversity early on.

It also lets the Raiders keep building the offense without Bowers, which could actually make the team better in a sense. Still, there are few positives that can come from losing a player like Bowers in an offense that was set to use multiple tight ends a decent amount.

Kubiak was hired for his ability to guide offenses and his offensive play-calling abilities, among other reasons. Another reason is getting the most out of the offense even when players are missing. This is easier said than done, but it is undoubtedly a significant part of being a head coach.

Starting the season without Bowers gives Kubiak a chance to prove that he can be successful, or at least productive, without certain players on the field. It removes Bowers as a potential crutch for a Raiders offense in its infancy, while also making life significantly harder for the unit.

Different Approach

Last season, Bowers suffered an injury in the very first game of the season. Instead of shutting Bowers down to rest or addressing the issue surgically, Pete Carroll and his coaching staff let Bowers play a few more games before finally removing him from the lineup.

This time, Bowers will miss the first few weeks of the season, allowing him a chance to rest and recover on the early side of things. Unlike last season, Las Vegas is addressing Bowers' health concerns as soon and as thoroughly as possible.

Dec 14, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Las Vegas Raiders tight end Brock Bowers (89) against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

This gives Bowers the best chance to return as healthy as possible while also returning early enough to make an impact. Losing Bowers is far from ideal, but injuries are part of football, and finding dependable players beyond a team's starters is part of any rebuild.

Bowers' recovery will be the biggest factor in his return, but until then, they hope a different approach to his injury will get him back sooner and healthier than last season. They hope the new approach also creates quality opportunities for others to make an impact.

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