Las Vegas Raiders star tight end Brock Bowers is already among the NFL’s best players under 25, and his next contract could reset the market for the NFL.
Bowers came in third on The Athletic’s Mike Jones‘ poll of the NFL’s best players 25 and under. He trails only Detroit’s Penei Sewell and Philadelphia’s Jalen Carter. Notably, Sewell and Carter both age out of eligibility next year at 25. Meanwhile, Bowers still has two more seasons to qualify for the list.
The Raiders will have to pay up…
Separately, Raiders cornerback Eric Stokes made his own case for Bowers’ value. He told reporters, “We always say that’s the highest-paid tight end. He might not be the highest paid right now, but shoot, when the time comes, we know he’s gonna be the highest paid,” per Sam Warren. Bowers becomes extension eligible after this season.
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The dual recognition matters for Las Vegas on multiple fronts. Bowers is already the centerpiece of the offense and the top trust target for whichever quarterback starts, having posted the best rookie season by a tight end in NFL history back in 2024.
His extension eligibility after this season puts a real number on the horizon for Las Vegas’ front office and salary cap planning. The top of the tight end market will likely reset around him. His peers and teammates already view Bowers as one of the league’s elite tight ends. Locking him up would also send a strong signal to the locker room. It would show that the rebuild under Klint Kubiak is being built around a genuine foundational piece.
Expect extension talks to gain real momentum once the season wraps. Las Vegas will likely be motivated to get ahead of the market rather than risk a costlier deal after another strong year.
How high should Brock Bowers climb the tight end market when the Raiders extend him?
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