Raiders Have One of the Best Contracts in Football

Published 6 hours ago• 2 minute read

The Las Vegas Raiders' outlook in 2025 and beyond is a lot brighter thanks to Brock Bowers. He was one of the few bright spots in the Raiders' offense, leading the team in receptions, receiving yards, and touchdowns, finishing with 112 catches for 1,194 receiving yards and five receiving touchdowns.

He was one of, if not the best, tight ends in football last year, and including being an Offensive Rookie of the Year finalist, he earned Pro Bowl honors and was named first team All-Pro in his first year in the league. Bowers made history not only for the Raiders franchise, but also broke the all-time receiving yards record by a rookie tight end previously set by Mike Ditka.

All of these accomplishments become even more impressive with the context that he had to deal with a mediocre quarterback play for the entirety of his rookie season. Having to get accustomed to both Aidan O'Connell and Gardner Minshew throwing him the ball must've been tough, but he was able to overcome it and is now in a much better position than he was a year ago.

Cody Benjamin is a sports writer for CBS Sports, and he set out to create an "All-Bargain team" in an article, compiling some of the brightest stars in the NFL on the cheapest deals. Bowers was the lone Raiders representative, but it goes to show how blessed they should feel to have his production on a rookie deal.

"The tight end market isn't the most robust, so even as a top-15 pick in 2024, Bowers isn't hauling in a lucrative sum. He was, however, a bona fide star for the Raiders out of the gate, easily emerging as Las Vegas' most trustworthy pass outlet with a rookie-record 112 catches. That volume may not be sustainable if the silver and black go run-heavy under Pete Carroll, but who cares? He looks like an elite No. 1", said Benjamin.

Bowers will be better in 2025 as he now has Geno Smith throwing him the ball, and even if the Raiders emphasize their run game more, Bowers is a prime candidate for a play-action pass, and with Smith having one of the most accurate balls in the league, this'll lead to more touchdowns and more impactful plays.

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