Raiders' Brock Bowers officially ruled out for opener after meniscus trim

The Raiders will open the season without their most dynamic pass catcher. Las Vegas officially ruled tight end Brock Bowers out for Sunday's opener against the Dolphins, ending a week that began with the head coach expecting him on the field.

Klint Kubiak, the Raiders' head coach, acknowledged Friday that his earlier optimism did not hold. "I was optimistic earlier that [Brock would be able to go — he's not]," Kubiak said in his opening statement. "We'll get him back soon."

Kubiak declined to attach a timeline when asked about reports that Bowers would miss a game or two, saying only that the team hopes to get him back as soon as possible. He described the stretch from the diagnosis to the procedure as moving quickly.

Bowers underwent a meniscus trim Tuesday, a surgery that had been scheduled last week after the injury was diagnosed. He originally got banged up during training camp.

When he is available, the 2024 first-round pick has been the center of Las Vegas' passing game. He caught 64 passes for 680 yards and seven touchdowns in 12 games last season, after a rookie season of 112 catches, 1,194 yards and five scores.

Earlier in the week Kubiak had told reporters the Raiders were "expecting to have all of our guys ready for Sunday," a comment that was overtaken by the medical timeline within a day.