Raiders list Brock Bowers questionable for possible season debut at Saints

The Raiders could get Brock Bowers into a regular-season game for the first time this year on Sunday in New Orleans, but his return is not settled. Coach Klint Kubiak listed the tight end questionable Friday with a knee injury, according to NFL.com's report. Bowers missed the first two games, both Las Vegas wins. A questionable tag leaves the decision open until the team announces its active players.

The knee has required patience. NFL.com reports Bowers had surgery before the season to clean it up, returned to limited practice last Friday and went through a pregame workout before the Raiders chose not to play him against the Chargers. He was limited again in the first two practices of this week. Kubiak said he had come close to playing in Week 2, but the club chose caution. The Friday designation is an improvement from being held out; it is not confirmation that he can take his usual workload.

Bowers's potential return matters because of the role he has already established in Las Vegas. The Raiders' tight end review says he led the club in receptions in 2025 despite missing five games, finishing with 64 catches and seven touchdowns. The team's Week 3 depth chart lists Michael Mayer and Ian Thomas behind him. A healthy Bowers would add an established receiving option, but no official source has specified his snap count or target volume if he dresses.

Las Vegas has begun 2-0 without him, while New Orleans is 1-1. That makes his availability a question about how the offense might expand, not a claim that the Raiders have struggled without him. For fantasy and roster decisions, the injury tag creates two separate checks: whether he is active before kickoff and, if active, whether the team places any limitations on his role. The first can be confirmed from the inactive list; the second will be visible only as the game unfolds.

The NFL Week 3 status roundup also lists Raiders safety Treydan Stukes out with a concussion and Saints receiver Barion Brown out with a hamstring injury. Those are separate absences in the same matchup. Raiders–Saints is scheduled for 4:25 p.m. Eastern Sunday, leaving a final availability decision on Bowers before the opening series.