The Raiders will open their season without their best offensive weapon.
Star tight end Brock Bowers will not play Sunday’s game against the Miami Dolphins because of an knee injury, dealing a significant blow to an offense preparing to unveil its new identity under head coach Klint Kubiak.
Bowers underwent a meniscus procedure this week and is expected to be sidelined multiple games.
His absence Sunday will immediately place greater pressure on quarterback Kirk Cousins and a receiving corps that already entered the season with questions.
Bowers missed eight games last year with a knee injury he suffered in a season-opening win over the Patriots. Even after returning, he was hampered by the injury all season.
Bowers is the centerpiece of the Raiders’ passing game and their most difficult matchup. He can line up as a traditional tight end, operate from the slot or move outside, giving Kubiak the flexibility to dictate favorable matchups against linebackers, safeties and cornerbacks.
Without him, Michael Mayer will likely become the Raiders’ primary tight end and assume a larger role as a receiver. Wideouts Jack Bech, Jaylen Nailor and Tre Tucker must also help replace the production and defensive attention Bowers ordinarily commands.
The Raiders could lean more heavily on their running game and use multiple-tight-end personnel, but there is no direct replacement for Bowers’ combination of speed, strength and playmaking ability.
His absence is especially concerning after a knee injury limited him throughout much of last season. Bowers entered training camp healthy and appeared ready to recapture the explosiveness that made him one of the NFL’s premier tight ends as a rookie.
Now the immediate question shifts from whether Bowers will play Sunday to how long he might be sidelined.
For the Raiders, the priority is ensuring one missed game does not become a lingering problem. But against Miami, Cousins and the rest of the offense will have to find a way forward without their most dangerous receiving weapon.
