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Raiders HC Pete Makes Brock Bowers Announcement on Friday

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Austin C. Boyd | Last updated Oct 10, 2025 4:09 PM ET

The Las Vegas Raiders are 1-4, but things continue to get more difficult. Last week against the Indianapolis Colts, star tight end Brock Bowers had to miss the first game of his NFL career.

The All-Pro hurt his knee in Week 1 and hasn't looked the same since. The Raiders kept putting him on the field, but finally decided that he needed rest heading into Week 5. Ahead of the Week 6 game against the Tennessee Titans, Las Vegas held him out of practice all week.

It looked like a long shot that he could play on Sunday, but we now have an answer.

Pete Carroll Rules Out Bowers

During his Friday press conference, head coach Pete Carroll confirmed that Bowers will not be playing on Sunday. This is expected, but still a tough pill to swallow for the Raiders.

Even though he's been hurt, the offense clearly missed him in Week 5 against the Colts, as they could only muster six points. That said, Bowers didn't look like his All-Pro self in the three games he played banged up.

The good news is that Carroll revealed that tight end Michael Mayer is finally ready to get back on the field after missing two games due to a concussion. Mayer has been waiting for an opportunity to see the ball more, and now he'll have it with Bowers out.

It's easy to forget that Mayer was an early second-round pick just a few years ago who was highly touted coming out of Notre Dame. Bowers is the better player, but Mayer should be able to make some plays for Las Vegas.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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