The Las Vegas Raiders are enduring yet another lost season in 2024, set to finish with one of the worst records in the league. But they’ve had an impressive bright spot on their offense this year, as rookie tight end Brock Bowers has been a revelation for them. And on Sunday, the Georgia product secured the best start of any player at the position in his first NFL season.
Brock Bowers Breaks 63-Year-Old NFL Record
Mike Ditka held the record for well over a half-century. During his first season in 1961, Ditka established the standard for rookie tight ends, racking up 1,076 receiving yards. It was a mark that was rarely threatened, though Kyle Pitts came within 50 yards of the record in 2021.
But after 63 years on the record books, Bowers has taken down the NFL legend. The Raiders rookie entered Sunday’s game against the Saints needing just ten yards to reach the milestone, and it took just a couple of catches to get it done. He now stands alone with over 1,100 yards and counting.
Brock Bowers stands alone 👏
The most receiving yards by a rookie tight end in NFL history! ☠️ pic.twitter.com/hasSGbr8aY
— ESPN (@espn) December 29, 2024
No matter what total Bowers finishes with after the final two weeks of the season, Ditka’s rookie year will still be the more impressive output. He needed just 56 catches to reach his total, and Bowers could very well finish with twice that amount. Ditka also set the mark for first-year tight ends with 12 receiving touchdowns, two more than each of Sam LaPorta and Rob Gronkowski.
The immediate future of the Raiders is in question, but Brock Bowers appears to be a cornerstone piece. Depending on how things play out in Weeks 17 and 18, Las Vegas could be in position to land one of the top quarterback prospects in the upcoming NFL Draft, which would only aid in Bowers’ potential success.
Bowers will try and add to his total in the Raiders’ final game of the season against the Chargers next week. His first NFL game was played against Los Angeles in Week 1, and he had 6 catches for 58 yards.
