Brock Bowers Could Make or Break Raiders in 2026
The Las Vegas Raiders have made plenty of moves this offseason to ensure that they are a better team in 2026. All of that stems from their decision to let go of Pete Carroll after his horrendous season as their head coach and go for one of the brightest offensive minds in the NFL.
Klint Kubiak cemented his reputation as one of the best modern-day play callers when the Seattle Seahawks won the Super Bowl last season. He now joins a Raiders team, which he's had an entire offseason to fit his vision. What are the heights Brock Bowers reaches with this new, offensive-minded head coach?
Putting Work in
Routes to success #RaiderNationpic.twitter.com/TrHgMfiRrn
- Las Vegas Raiders (@Raiders) May 7, 2026
Bowers missed some time last season, and even when he was playing, he wasn't the same tier of player he was in his explosive rookie season. That could've been due to him never being fully healthy or on the offensive schemes being called, but the fact of the matter is that his sophomore season should've been better.
Bowers will have had a different head coach and quarterback in each of his three seasons with the Silver and Black, and they're hoping that this combination is the one to stick. This is the strongest combination Bowers has encountered in his career, which bodes well for his chances of bouncing back in a big way.
Other than Ashton Jeanty, Bowers is easily the best offensive weapon the Raiders have at their disposal. Kubiak understood that Jaxon Smith-Njigba was leagues ahead of the rest of the Seahawks' receiving room, which led to him being the Offensive Player of the Year in 2025. Does that mean Bowers has the same ceiling in 2026?
I don't think so. It'd be a dream if either Kirk Cousins or Fernando Mendoza were on the level Sam Darnold was on last season, as his big arm made Smith-Njigba's job easier, as he did Darnold's. A lot of those impressive performances from Smith-Njigba were made possible by Darnold throwing haymakers down the field.
Best Case
Instead, if Bowers is going to have a phenomenal season next year, it'll be due to him continuing to get increased red zone opportunities and getting him the ball in space. Even with subpar quarterback play and injuries, Bowers had more touchdowns in 2025 because he was given more chances when they needed to score.
Getting the ball to him in space is key to unlocking this offense because it will force defenses to bolster the middle of the field, which would then create opportunities for those deep shots for their other receivers.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/raiders/onsi as Brock Bowers Could Make or Break Raiders in 2026.
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This story was originally published May 10, 2026 at 3:00 AM.