Raiders TE Brock Bowers sets rookie receptions mark

Jan 6, 2025, 7:49 AM

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - JANUARY 05: Brock Bowers #89 of the Las Vegas Raiders leaves the field at halft...

(Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

Sactown Sports

Las Vegas tight end Brock Bowers caught four passes in the Raiders’ regular-season finale on Sunday, nudging him past New York Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers for the NFL’s single-season rookie reception record.

Nabers briefly owned the record after making five grabs in the Giants’ 20-13 loss at Philadelphia early Sunday afternoon to leave him with 109 on the season.

A few hours later, Bowers shook off a slow start and hauled in all four of his receptions during the second half of the Raiders’ 34-20 home loss to the Los Angeles Chargers. His 110th catch came on a 21-yard connection with Aidan O’Connell in the third quarter.

What a rookie year for Raiders TE Brock Bowers 🏴‍☠️

112 REC, 5 TDs, 1194 Yards

(via @NFL)pic.twitter.com/Y1XfiCFJi6

— B/R Gridiron (@brgridiron) January 6, 2025

Bowers finished the season with 112 receptions, the third-most by a tight end in NFL history. Zach Ertz holds the single-season record with his 116-catch campaign with Philadelphia in 2018.

Drafted 13th overall out of Georgia, Bowers became an immediate weapon for Las Vegas and wound up orchestrating the most productive debut season by a tight end in league history. He set the receiving yards record for rookie tight ends, surpassing the 1,076 yard total set by Pro Football Hall of Famer Mike Ditka with Chicago in 1961.

Bowers ended up with 1,194 receiving yards this season, tied for eighth-most in the NFL. He also caught five touchdowns for a Raiders team that finished 4-13 and missed the playoffs for the third straight year.

Nabers concluded his first campaign with 1,204 yards, just ahead of Bowers for seventh in the league, and seven touchdowns. The sixth overall pick out of LSU was a bright spot during an otherwise dreary centennial season for New York, which lost a franchise-record 14 games, including 10 straight losses at one point, also a franchise worst.

His fourth catch on Sunday gave him 108 on the year and moved him past Steve Smith (2009) for the Giants’ single-season reception record.

–Field Level Media

More on the Las Vegas Raiders from Sactown Sports

Quentin Johnston hauled in a career-high 13 receptions for 186 yards, leading the Los Angeles Chargers to a 34-20 win over the host Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday.

Justin Herbert threw for 346 yards and two touchdowns, completing 28 of 36 passes en route to a 125.2 passer rating. Ladd McConkey chipped in 95 yards on five catches, while J.K. Dobbins added 63 rushing yards on 18 carries to finish the regular season with a career-high 905 rushing yards.

The Chargers clinched the fifth seed in the AFC playoff picture with the win, meaning they’ll head to Houston to face the Texans in the wild-card round Saturday. Los Angeles played all of its regular starters on Sunday, presumably with the intention of earning that fifth seed and avoiding a first-round game against the Ravens’ record-setting offense in Baltimore.