It’s been a season to forget for the Las Vegas Raiders as a team but one memorable aspect is rookie tight end Brock Bowers. The first-round pick has put together a historic season.
He’s been breaking records all year and that didn’t change in the Week 17 win against the New Orleans Saints. In the game, Bowers caught seven passes to bring his season total to 108, which is a new rookie record. Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua set the record last season with 105.
However, the most impressive record Bowers broke was Mike Ditka’s record for most receiving yards by a rookie tight end in a season. Ditka’s 1,076 yards in 1961 remained unbroken for 63 years until Bowers broke it against the Saints.
He’s already arguably the best tight end in the NFL and head coach Antonio Pierce thinks that he’s only scratching the surface of how good he could be.
“Like I said from Day 1, he was special when he walked in the door and he was special again today,” Pierce said of Bowers in his postgame press conference. “Doesn’t want no attention. Team tried to grab him at the end and he doesn’t even want to break down the team huddle. All he cares about is winning and smiling. He can break records but just watch him after victories. That’s the true Brock Bowers because he’s a competitor, he’s a true pro and like I’ve said, it’s scary how good this kid’s gonna be.”
Brock Bowers Reacts to Breaking Records
Bowers is on track to be a superstar in the NFL. He could be one of the faces of the league if he wanted to in a few years. However, he prefers to stay away from the limelight.
He didn’t have much to say about breaking records in Week 17.
“It’s pretty awesome,” Bowers said of breaking Ditka’s record. “It’s always been a childhood goal to play in the NFL, obviously, and to come in here and to catch as many balls as I did and get as many years as I did, it’s pretty shocking to me. … It’s pretty cool.”
The Raiders didn’t need a tight end in the draft but taking Bowers was clearly a great move in hindsight. If there were a re-draft for the 2024 class, he might not make it out of the top five.
Is Bowers the Best TE in the NFL?
It’s rare for a rookie to come into the NFL and be the best player at his position. There’s a real argument that Bowers has done that. Travis Kelce and George Kittle have been considered the best tight ends in the NFL for years but both are getting older.
Bowers leads all tight ends in yards and receptions this season and he’s done it with three different starting quarterbacks. It might be premature to crown him quite yet. Kittle has missed multiple games and isn’t far behind Bowers statistically.
However, Bowers is clearly on the trajectory to being recognized as the league’s best tight end. In fact, he’s already proving to be one of the best pass catchers at any position in the NFL.
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Raiders’ Antonio Pierce Puts NFL on Notice With Brock Bowers Comments