Raiders star TE Brock Bowers (knee) to miss second straight game

Raiders star TE Brock Bowers has been ruled out of Sunday's game against the Titans, marking his second straight absence due to a knee injury.

BY FIELD LEVEL MEDIA

Oct 10, 2025, 3:18 PM

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LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - JANUARY 05: Brock Bowers #89 of the Las Vegas Raiders lines up for the start of a play against the Los Angeles Chargers in the first quarter of their game at Allegiant Stadium on January 05, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Chargers defeated the Raiders 34-20. (Photo by Candice Ward/Getty Images)

(Photo by Candice Ward/Getty Images)

Raiders star tight end Brock Bowers has been ruled out of Sunday’s game against the Tennessee Titans, marking his second straight absence for Las Vegas due to a knee injury.

Bowers missed practice all week, and coach Pete Carroll saw no reason to wait another few days to see if his condition improved.

“We’re trying to make sure that once he’s back, he stays back, and there’s no setbacks,” Carroll told reporters Friday.

Bowers attempted to play last week against the Indianapolis Colts, but his pre-game efforts weren’t productive, and the Raiders made him one of their inactives.

Raiders officially ruled out TE Brock Bowers for Sunday’s game against the Titans due to his knee injury. pic.twitter.com/0x53ZBGFcS

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 10, 2025

Brock Bowers was a huge breakout star as a rookie last season when he caught 112 passes for 1,194 yards and five touchdowns. The receptions were the most by a rookie in NFL history.

This season, Brock Bowers has 19 receptions for 225 yards and no touchdowns in four games.

Offensive coordinator Chip Kelly said not having Bowers affects the entire offense.

“You lose the premier tight end in the NFL, and play calling is different,” Kelly said. “… You have to be able to make adjustments when you lose players like that, and you’ve got to move on, because no one’s feeling sorry for you when you have a guy down.

“So, that’s just the nature of the game, and we’re hopeful we’ll get Brock back soon here. He’s working his tail off to get back in the rehab process, so we’ll see how that goes.”

Tight end Michael Mayer (concussion) is expected to return against Tennessee after missing the past two games. He practiced in full and wasn’t given a status designation on Friday. Mayer has six catches for 47 yards this season.

Punter AJ Cole (right ankle) returned to practice on a limited basis on Friday and is listed as questionable.

–Field Level Media

More on Brock Bowers & the Las Vegas Raiders

Fresh off recording their first win, the Tennessee Titans will try to press their luck when they head to Las Vegas for a meeting with the Raiders on Sunday.

While the Raiders (1-4) won their first game before going on a four-game losing streak, the Titans (1-4) enter the Week 6 matchup following an unlikely 22-21 road victory over the Arizona Cardinals.

Tennessee stepped up late with 16 fourth-quarter points, earning its big break when Arizona’s Emari Demercado let the ball roll off his fingertips at the goal line early in the final frame, failing to complete a 72-yard touchdown run.

Instead of trailing 28-6, the Titans went on a momentum-building 80-yard touchdown drive and completed their comeback behind 193 passing yards from rookie Cam Ward in the fourth quarter.

“One fourth-quarter performance doesn’t guarantee another, but to see (Ward) go out and perform — be at your best when your best is required — that was really positive,” Titans head coach Brian Callahan said. “That’s a big moment for his development as a young player. Now, the key will be: How do we do that from the start of the game?”

Ward, the top pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, finished the game with a season-best 265 passing yards. His late effort set up a game-winning 29-yard field goal from Joey Slye as time expired.