There is no denying that Las Vegas Raiders tight end Brock Bowers is having an elite rookie campaign.
On Sunday, Bowers broke a 63-year-old record during the Raiders’ victory over the New Orleans Saints, surpassing Mike Ditka’s 1,076 receiving yards for a rookie tight end. Bowers finished the game with 77 yards, putting the new record at 1,144 yards with a game remaining.
Ditka’s record would not be the only one Bowers broke on Sunday, however. With seven catches on the day, Bowers also broke Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua‘s record for receptions by a rookie. Nacua set the record just last season with 105 grabs; Bowers finished the game against the Saints with 108.
Despite the Raiders enduring a lost season, Bowers has cemented himself as a key piece to their core. With the season he has had despite the Raiders’ quarterback struggles, fans should be excited to see what the ceiling for Bowers looks like.
Unfortunately, the record-breaking season will likely not culminate in an Offensive Rookie of the Year award for Bowers.
According to Sportsnaut’s Andrew Buller-Russ, Bowers is currently second in the running for the prestigious award, behind only Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels.
“Leading all rookies in receiving yardage, Brock Bowers is having a historical rookie season for a tight end,” Buller-Russ said. “Bowers already has 1,144 receiving yards and four touchdowns while playing for a Raiders offense that ranks 28th in scoring. But he’s not catching up to Daniels.”
While this development would be a disappointment to Bowers and Raiders fans, it also should not come as a surprise.
Similar to Bowers, Daniels has had a superb season with what was expected to be one of the worst teams in the NFL this season. However, Daniels has lifted the Commanders well above expectations, as the team clinched a playoff berth with their victory on Sunday over the Atlanta Falcons.
Daniels has also broken rookie records this season, as the victory over the Falcons saw him break the record for most rushing yards by a rookie quarterback. With 820 rushing yards, Daniels broke the record set by fellow Washington quarterback Robert Griffin III, who ran for 815 yards in 2012.
That does not bode well for Bowers in the OROY race, and the recent history of the award also favors Daniels.
Last season, despite Nacua breaking the rookie receptions record, he finished second in the voting behind Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud.
The previous two seasons, which saw non-quarterbacks in New York Jets receiver Garrett Wilson and Cincinnati Bengals receiver Ja’Marr Chase win the award, saw lean years at the quarterback position. Wilson’s victory in 2022 saw San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy start mid-season, while the 2021 race saw such a dearth of worthy candidates that Kansas City Chiefs center Creed Humphrey and Los Angeles Chargers offensive tackle Rashawn Slater finished third and fourth in the voting, respectively.
Bowers has put together a transcendent rookie year, and it is a shame that it will likely not amount to Rookie of the Year status. Even then, having arguably the best player at the tight end position for years to come is an exciting prospect in its own right.
