NEW ORLEANS -- A meniscus trim and two weeks of being a bystander did not prevent Brock Bowers from delivering a masterclass performance in his regular-season debut on Sunday afternoon.
The third-year tight end once again issued a reminder of why he is one of the best at his position, catching a team-high 10 passes for 116 yards and a touchdown in the Raiders' 35-27 comeback win over the Saints at the Caesars Superdome.
"It felt good to be back," Bowers said.
Bowers' delayed start to the season was necessary as he dealt with pain in his knee throughout training camp. The specific injury wasn't diagnosed until earlier this month, though, prompting surgery with Dr. Daniel Cooper.
"I thought it was nothing," Bowers said. "I thought it would go away before the start of the season, but I had to get it done and get it right before the long stretch of the season."
He returned to the practice field last Friday and has been a limited participant ever since.
Bowers was absent from the team's final practice before traveling to New Orleans. His absence wasn't a concern, as it was a part of the team's plan to have the All-Pro pass catcher fully ready for their matchup against New Orleans, said coach Klint Kubiak.
"To come off an injury and play the way he did was very impressive, and we needed it," said Kubiak.
Despite the Raiders' defense forcing four turnovers and veteran Kirk Cousins continuing to defy his 38-year-old age by throwing three touchdown passes and helping his team overcome a 27-16 deficit, Bowers was the star of the show.
He began the game by catching three passes for 37 yards on three targets during the team's opening drive, which resulted in a 41-yard field goal attempt from kicker Matt Gay. With 19 seconds left in the second quarter, Bowers maintained his balance and stayed in bounds while making a 15-yard grab near the sideline despite Saints safety Jonas Sanker applying sticky coverage.
"We're a better team when he's on the field. That's for sure," center Tyler Linderbaum said. "[Bowers] does it the right way."
While the Raiders were making their comeback in the fourth, Bowers helped strengthen their lead by catching a 3-yard touchdown pass from Cousins with 6:22 to go in regulation.
Cousins was pleased to see the strong connection between him and Bowers translate from training camp practices to an actual game. Still, Cousins said there's more room to grow.
"I had this with [Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson], where early on you don't realize how good he was as a player," Cousins said. "And then you play with him longer, and you start to realize, 'Oh, practice didn't really show just how good he is,' and so I think games with Brock will be important for us to continue to build that rapport."
Bowers' performance allowed him to achieve more milestones in his young career. He caught 10 passes in a game for the sixth time in his career, tied with Lions' Amon-Ra St. Brown for fourth most since entering the NFL in 2024, behind Bengals' Ja'Marr Chase (9), Rams' Puka Nacua (8) and Cardinals' Trey McBride (7).
Overall, it was an impressive day for tight ends for both teams. Raiders' Michael Mayer caught a touchdown in the second quarter while Noah Fant and Juwan Johnson of the Saints each recorded two touchdown catches. Six combined touchdowns from tight ends are tied for the most in any game in NFL history since the Chargers-Raiders game in 1981, when Kellen Winslow had five & Derrick Ramsey posted one.
The Raiders used multiple tight end sets at a high rate, which could be a trend moving forward, especially since second-year wide receiver Jack Bech is expected to miss games after fracturing his forearm.
Las Vegas utilized multiple tight end sets on 52 of 63 offensive plays (82.5%). The majority of the time, Bowers functioned more as a wide receiver than a traditional tight end. He ran nine routes out wide and 15 in the slot. Only eight of his routes came in tight alignment. Bowers also lined up in the backfield once.
"You can say, 'Oh, let's get into two tight ends or three tight ends or a fullback [formation]. It's one thing to do that, but if you don't have great players at those positions, it doesn't move the needle," Cousins said. "We really feel good about [fullback] Connor [Heyward] and Michael and Brock and Ian [Thomas]."