Brock Bowers 'Hoping to Play' for Raiders vs. Chargers amid Knee Injury

Las Vegas Raiders tight end Brock Bowers told reporters Thursday he hopes to be available for Week 2 after suffering a knee injury during last Sunday's season-opening win over the New England Patriots.

"I'm not sure. We'll see how it's feeling throughout the week, but I'm hoping to play," Bowers said, per ESPN's Ryan McFadden.

Bowers did not participate in practice Thursday, per Jesse Merrick of the Silver & Black Sports Network.

The Raiders return to action with a Monday night matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers.

Bowers appeared to suffer the injury after taking a hit while catching a 38-yard pass from Geno Smith in the third quarter of Sunday's season opener.

He visited the medical tent and did not return to the game.

Raiders coach Pete Carroll said after the game that Bowers had wanted to return to the game but the medical team had held him out, per the Patriots' transcript.

"They thought, let's watch the game, see how it goes; we didn't have to do that," Carroll said Sunday.

NFL Network's Tom Pelissero meanwhile reported shortly after the game that he had spoken with Bowers and that the tight end "says he's fine" and there were "no concerns moving forward."

Bowers' availability came more into question Monday, when Carroll told reporters the tight end was considered "day-to-day."

The tight end has not been seen practicing since then. The Las Vegas Review-Journal's Vincent Bonsignore reported Thursday that the Raiders' "hope" is to have him return to practice by Saturday.

Bowers earned a Pro Bowl nod and a spot as Offensive Rookie of the Year runner-up after recording 1,194 receiving yards and five receiving touchdowns in 2024.

He remained a top target in Smith's Raiders debut, recording five receptions on eight targets for 103 yards before exiting the game.

Third-year tight end Michael Mayer helped fill in for the Raiders while Bowers was sidelined, finishing the game with four catches on four targets for 38 yards.

When asked about Mayer as the team's No. 2 tight end after Sunday's game, Carroll answered, "He ain't number two tight end. We got ones. Those guys can all play and do stuff."

Mayer need to take on a starter's workload in Week 2 if Bowers is unable to return by the time the Raiders kick off Monday night's home opener at 10 p.m. ET.