Georgia Star Brock Bowers Injury Update: Return Timeline, How It Shapes Bulldogs’ CFP Run & NFL Draft Buzz

Las Vegas Raiders tight end Brock Bowers was held out of Thursday’s practice with a lingering left-knee injury, putting his availability for Sunday’s Week 5 matchup against the Indianapolis Colts in serious doubt. First-year head coach Antonio Pierce originally listed Bowers as “limited” on Wednesday, but the rookie was downgraded to “did not participate” 24 hours later. Fantasy-centric outlet DraftSharks followed by labeling the All-American as “out” for Thursday, fueling speculation that Las Vegas may hold him out entirely to avoid aggravating the joint that he hurt in the season opener. Bowers has yet to miss an NFL game despite tweaking the knee in Week 1 against New England. Through four contests he leads all rookie tight ends in targets (28), receptions (21) and red-zone looks (6), while ranking second among all Raiders pass-catchers in receiving yards (237). Losing him would force second-year pro Michael Mayer and veteran Austin Hooper into larger roles against an Indianapolis defense giving up the fifth-most yards to tight ends this season. Fantasy managers should be proactive: stash Mayer as an emergency starter, monitor Friday’s final injury report and be prepared to pivot before Las Vegas’ 4:05 p.m. ET kickoff. Sportsbooks have already nudged the game’s point total down a half-point after Thursday’s injury news, reflecting Bowers’ importance to Jimmy Garoppolo’s short-area passing attack. Long term, the Raiders appear committed to protecting their 2024 first-round pick. A mini-bye looms after Week 6, and the team could elect to rest Bowers now in hopes of having him close to full strength for a critical AFC West showdown with Kansas City in Week 7. For a player once projected to threaten Travis Kelce’s single-season yardage record, short-term caution may preserve long-term upside.