Las Vegas Raiders rookie tight end Brock Bowers spent Sunday’s game rewriting the record books, most notably breaking Mike Ditka’s 63-year-old NFL record for receiving yards by a rookie tight end.
With a 13-yard catch from quarterback Aidan O’Connell in the first half, Bowers moved past Ditka’s longstanding record of 1,076 yards, which the Hall of Famer Ditka set in 1961 in a 14-game schedule with the Chicago Bears.
MOST RECEIVING YARDS IN A SEASON BY A ROOKIE TIGHT END❕#BrockForOROY | @brockbowers17 pic.twitter.com/kQnTV85uUZ
— Las Vegas Raiders (@Raiders) December 29, 2024
Earlier in the first half, Bowers, Las Vegas’ first-round draft pick in 2024, also set the Raiders rookie record for receiving yards in a season, passing wide receiver Amari Cooper, who had 1,070 receiving yards his first season with the Raiders in 2015.
In the third quarter, Bowers broke the NFL record for receptions in a rookie season, surpassing the mark of 105 catches set by Los Angeles Rams receiver Puka Nacua last season. Later in the quarter, he matched Darren Waller’s franchise record for most receptions in a season with his 107th catch.
Bowers entered Sunday’s game against the New Orleans Saints with 101 catches on 137 targets for 1,067 yards and four touchdowns through 15 games this season, leading the Raiders in each category.
Well worth the draft slot
There were plenty of raised eyebrows when the Raiders drafted Bowers with the 13th selection in April’s draft, but the selection has already turned out to be Las Vegas’ best pick in years. Bowers has had a historic season, is already the Raiders’ No. 1 receiving option and has arguably been the best tight end in the NFL.
At just 22 years old, he should be a building block for the franchise moving forward. He’s been one of the few bright spots in what’s been a long season for the Raiders. — Tashan Reed, Raiders beat writer
Historic production despite weak offense
Bowers’ success has come despite the Raiders’ cycling through three different starting quarterbacks this year, none of which has played well. Gardner Minshew, O’Connell and Desmond Ridder have all had their struggles.
Additionally, the Raiders had a midseason offensive play caller change when former offensive coordinator Luke Getsy was fired and interim offensive coordinator Scott Turner was promoted. Those aren’t ideal circumstances, but Bowers has been the constant week in and week out. It bodes well for what he could accomplish if the Raiders are able to discover more consistency on offense. — Reed
A locker room favorite
Antonio Pierce has praised Bowers’ no-nonsense approach all year, and how he has reacted to teams’ increased attention to him, Pierce said one of the players he was happiest for last week when the team broke it’s 10-game losing streak was Bowers. “Probably the biggest smile I’ve seen on his face last week was in the locker room post-game,” Pierce said Friday. — Vic Tafur, Raidesr beat writer
Required reading
(Photo: Chris Graythen / Getty Images)
