Things were looking good for the Las Vegas Raiders heading into the season before they got hit with the brutal news that Brock Bowers is going to miss time due to a meniscus trim surgery. While the team hopes he only misses a game or two, it’s possible he could be out even longer.
Either way, it’s far from ideal for the Raiders, especially since a knee injury caused him to miss five games. According to Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer, Bowers has been dealing with knee issues since college, and while he doesn’t believe it’s time to panic, it could be a situation to watch.
“That’s a wear-and-tear injury. And having him in this, I don’t want to scare anybody here because it was a trim rather than a repair, which gets him back sooner rather than later. But there was some wear-and-tear stuff on him coming out of Georgia,” Breer said on the “Rich Eisen Show.” “No alarm bells here, but … that’s why you don’t see with an injury like this, these sometimes just pop up rather than us actually getting to see something happening in a game or something happened at practice where practice was stopped. This is generally one of those things that is something that evolves over time. Ironically enough, it’s like the same sort of thing that Maxx Crosby has.
“Again, I’m not starting that alarm because I’m saying these things that probably would make Raiders fans recoil to some degree, and so I’m not sounding that alarm yet. But this is the sort of wear-and-tear thing that you want to take care of. And so they take the more aggressive route in getting them back to the field, under the field, and having the trim rather than the repair. But it does, at least, I think, get your attention just as far as the amount of mileage he has just three years into his career.”
Bowers’ Injury Issues Are a Concern
As a rookie, Bowers played all 17 games for the Raiders and was unstoppable. He got banged up in Week 1 last year and is banged up before this season even starts.
Bowers could be in for a massive contract extension after the season, but the injury concerns complicate things. There’s no denying that when he’s on the field, he’s one of the best players in the NFL. The problem is that he hasn’t been on the field enough.
Raiders Have Big Problem Without Bowers
Not having Bowers is a big problem for the Raiders. They are very light on receiving talent. He was supposed to be the top target in the passing game.
The Raiders’ offense is going to be a lot less dangerous without Bowers in the lineup. The team will rely heavily on the running game, which is likely what head coach Klint Kubiak wants to do anyway, but having Bowers taking up so much attention would’ve helped. The Raiders just have to really hope that Bowers is only out for a game or two.
Insider Gives Troubling Insight Into Brock Bowers’ Injury