The Raiders aren’t taking any chances.
The Las Vegas franchise announced Wednesday it was shutting down second-year tight end Brock Bowers for the season a day after he was named to his second straight Pro Bowl.
That means the 2-13 Raiders will be without one of their top offensive weapons as they head into Week 17’s “Stinker Bowl” matchup with the Giants, which will hand the loser control of the No. 1 pick in the 2026 draft.
Brock Bowers Getty Images
Bowers suffered a posterior cruciate ligament injury and a bone bruise in his left knee suffered in Las Vegas’ Week 1 win over the Patriots, battling through before missing games in Week 4-6 to recover.
Despite the injury woes, Bowers leads the Raiders in receptions (64), receiving yards (680) and touchdown catches (7).
It’s somewhat of a letdown after expectations were high following a standout rookie season.
The 2024 first-round pick posted 112 catches for 1,194 yards and five touchdowns in his first season.
His 176 career catches are the most by a tight end in his first two seasons, and his 1,874 receiving yards are third-most.