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Brock Bowers told reporters that he is back to full fitness, a positive development that should help the rest of Klint Kubiak’s offence come together during OTAs.
Bowers had a strong start to last season, catching five passes for 103 yards in Week 1 before picking up a knee injury.
He tried to play through it over the next three games, adding 14 receptions for 122 yards, but the Raiders eventually sidelined him until Week 9. By season’s end, he had totalled 64 catches for 680 yards and seven touchdowns across 12 appearances.
It was still a productive year, though it didn’t reach the heights of his rookie campaign, where he posted a record-breaking 112 catches for 1,194 yards en route to first-team All-Pro honours.
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Bowers focused his offseason on returning to full speed
“It feels good to be back out there, practising full speed, getting back into football with all the guys again,” Bowers said. He added that he had a good offseason focused on staying healthy and getting back to 100 per cent.
That changes Klint Kubiak’s starting point. The new staff can install early concepts with Bowers as the leverage piece rather than designing around a managed tight end.
According to NBC Sports, the development is a boost for both Kirk Cousins and Fernando Mendoza, who was the top pick in the 2026 draft. For Cousins, it means having a reliable option between the numbers, while Mendoza benefits from clear reads as he adapts to the speed of NFL defences.
Offensive coordinator Andrew Janocko highlighted Bowers’ impact on how an offence can approach defensive schemes. With Bowers operating at full speed and Ashton Jeanty settled into his role, Mendoza gets the kind of straightforward setup that helps first-year starters find their footing.
Las Vegas can build the passing game from the inside out
Defences have to account for Bowers before the ball is snapped, particularly when he aligns off the line or motions into cleaner releases.
Tre Tucker and the outside receivers get more favourable spacing, the backs see lighter boxes on certain looks, and Kubiak’s staff can use Bowers to force linebackers and safeties into coverage decisions early in the down.
Bowers already owns the most receptions by a tight end through two NFL seasons, with 176 catches and 1,874 receiving yards across his first two years, the latter 107 yards short of Mike Ditka’s tight-end record. Full speed is the first firm piece in the offensive installation.
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