NEW ORLEANS – Brock Bowers’ first assignment on a football field during the 2026 regular season was to run a quick out. So when the Las Vegas Raiders tight end saw the New Orleans Saints’ cornerback assigned to him playing back, Bowers had a feeling the ball was heading his way.
Indeed, quarterback Kirk Cousins and Bowers connected for the first of 10 occasions in the Raiders’ 35-27 victory over the Saints on Sunday, Sept. 27, as Las Vegas started 3-0 for the first time since 2021.
“I had a pretty good idea it was coming my way,” said Bowers, who finished with 116 yards and a touchdown.
The Raiders won their first two games of the season without Bowers, but Sunday showed what kind of offensive ceiling he helps provide a team that features second-year
running back Ashton Jeanty and fellow tight end Michael Mayer, who also scored against New Orleans.
Bowers’ return from a meniscus trim he underwent Sept. 9 was a welcome development, with quarterback Cousins favoring the dynamic pass-catcher in first-year head coach Klint Kubiak’s scheme.
“It feels good to be back,” Bowers said.
The 2024 first-round pick generated 64 catches for 680 yards and seven touchdowns last season in just 12 games due to a PCL injury and bone bruise in his left knee. Bowers said Sunday he dealt with discomfort throughout training camp and thought it would go away before season started. When the issue persisted, Bowers opted to have the surgical fix immediately.
Bowers said he exited the victory healthy and felt normal. He didn’t think about his knee while playing, he said, because the body takes over – which is kind of what Bowers did to this game. The win felt “amazing,” especially since the Raiders trailed 27-16 at one point in the second half, but he and his teammates will only enjoy it for about 24 hours.
“It was fun to be back out there with all the guys,” Bowers said.
Kubiak’s ability to showcase Bowers from a variety of settings will only make the former Georgia Bulldog more of a headache for opposing defenses. In the first half, for example, Bowers lined up for 13 snaps out wide, 14 in the slot, four as a traditional in-line tight end and even once in the backfield.
“Brock’s always been a guy to count on,” Kubiak said. “But to come off an injury and play the way that he did, it was very impressive.”
Bowers demonstrated his strength by wrestling with a defender as he broke the plane of the goal line for a 4-yard touchdown that helped make the Raiders’ one-point lead an eight-point margin in the fourth quarter. Earlier, he somehow landed both feet in bounds prior to falling out of bounds near his team’s sideline. Cousins and the third-year player looked like they’d shared the same uniform for years.
“It helps a lot having a very experienced guy back there,” Bowers said.
And for the Raiders, it helps a lot having Brock Bowers back on the field.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Brock Bowers' stellar return shows Raiders' untapped offensive potential
