Las Vegas Raiders superstar tight end Brock Bowers made his 2026 season debut in Week 3 after missing the opening two contests after undergoing a meniscus trim. Bowers wasted no time. He recorded 10 receptions for 116 yards and a touchdown in a thrilling 35-27 win over the New Orleans Saints.
This was Bowers' first regular-season appearance with Klint Kubiak as his head coach. It was worth monitoring how the creative play caller would utilize his biggest playmaking weapon. The two-time Pro Bowl tight end was used in beautifully insane fashion.
Bowers ran 33 total routes. Only eight of them occurred from a traditional in-line alignment. The versatile pass-catcher ran 15 routes from the slot, nine from out wide, and one from the backfield.
The former
Georgia standout had a 43.3% target share, and a 40.2% air-yard share, according to Next Gen Stats. He was clearly Kirk Cousins' primary target. Bowers saw three targets in the red zone, including his four-yard score.
It's unfair to label Bowers as a tight end. In total, 45 of his snaps came from the slot or out wide, with just nine snaps as an in-line player. Kubiak's brilliantly creative and flexible mind understands how to best utilize Bowers.
Bowers could be unstoppable in Kubiak's offense.
This article originally appeared on Raiders Wire: Raiders TE Brock Bowers' Week 3 usage was beautifully insane
