Brock Bowers named as candidate for exciting new opportunity

Just one year in his NFL career, Las Vegas Raiders tight end Brock Bowers already has a number of impressive accolades.

As a rookie, he set the records for most receptions by any first-year player (112) and most yards at his position (1,194). Bowers was named first-team All-Pro and earned Pro Bowl honors, and likely would have won Offensive Rookie of the Year if it were not for a stellar season from Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels. He already has an argument as the best tight end in the NFL today, which is impressive for a player just entering their second season.

Bowers could soon add another honor to the list: future Olympian.

Is Bowers a candidate for the inaugural Team USA flag football team?

On the heels of the exciting development on Tuesday that the NFL has agreed to allow its players to participate in flag football when it debuts at the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, Bowers’s name was brought up as a potential candidate to join Team USA.

“This is the X-factor on the field,” said Fox Sports’ Greg Auman about Bowers on his ‘dream team’ for the Olympics.

“Snapping is fairly easy, so do you just want a fourth open-field target? The center can’t engage/block the rusher, but you can make a case that size is best translated here, considering that the rusher has to go around the center before he releases upfield. The 6-foot-4, 230-pound Bowers has much more athleticism than most tight ends, so he’d bring the big-catch-radius-in-the-end-zone aspect to complement smaller, quicker receivers.”

Bowers was named as the center on Auman’s team, meaning he snaps the ball and then immediately turns into another receiver. He would be joined on offense by Daniels, Detroit Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs, and wide receivers Justin Jefferson (Minnesota Vikings) and Ja’Marr Chase (Cincinnati Bengals).

The NFL’s decision to allow players to participate in the Olympics is their latest endeavor in turning football into an international game.

The league already has a foothold in several countries, with Ireland, Germany and Spain all having their first NFL games played this season. They also launched their Global Markets Program in 2022, which has all 32 NFL teams having games aired in 21 different countries. Starting this season, the Raiders will have their games airing in Australia and New Zealand, along with Mexico.

If Bowers represents the United States in a few years’ time, the Raiders and the NFL will be able to grow their international footprint event more.