Las Vegas Raiders rookie tight end Brock Bowers has cemented himself as not only the greatest rookie tight end in NFL history, but one of the best rookie pass catchers overall. In Week 18, he broke Mike Ditka’s record for most receiving yards by a rookie tight end and also broke Puka Nacua’s record for most receptions by a rookie.
Bowers is a man of few words and simply likes to play football. If he keeps up with the elite play, he’ll be a Hall of Famer one day. One former player who has been very impressed with Bowers is legendary tight end Rob Gronkowski.
He thinks that Bowers is just scratching the surface of the records he’s going to break throughout his career.
“He’s the complete package,” Gronkowski said on the Dec. 31 episode of “Up & Adams.” “He’s the only thing that’s been steady on the Las Vegas Raiders offense throughout the whole year, and he’s done it with about three different quarterbacks throwing him the ball, which is just incredible. He should be Rookie Offensive Player of the Year. Don’t give it to a quarterback; he deserves it.
“100-something catches as just a rookie. If he continues this pace, he’s going to shatter every single tight-end record out there. Possibly some receiving records as well. The only one that he may not touch is my record, which is the most touchdowns scored by a tight end in a single season, which is 17 receptions and one rushing.”
Brock Bowers Named to Pro Bowl
Even though he’s just a rookie, there’s an argument that Bowers is already the best tight end in the NFL. He’s getting a ton of love as a rookie and fans have noticed. It was revealed that Bowers has been named to the 2025 Pro Bowl Games along with Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce.
Defensive end Maxx Crosby was the only other Raider named to the AFC’s Pro Bowl team. This is likely not the last honor Bowers will receive. He could be in line to be named to an All-Pro team and is in contention to win Offensive Rookie of the Year.
Bowers Earns Praise From Teammates
The Raiders haven’t had much success with their first-round picks in recent years. It was a surprise when the team selected Bowers as tight end wasn’t a need but he’s proving that drafting the best player available is a winning strategy.
He’s still early in his career but he’s impressive veteran teammates like Ameer Abdullah.
“He handles the spotlight very well, never gets too high or too low,” Abdullah said following the Raiders’ Week 17 win over the New Orleans Saints. “He has the same routine every day — I’ve actually learned a lot from Brock being here. He just brings his lunch to work and is never satisfied.”
Bowers may just be scratching the surface with how good he can be. He’s only 22 and the Raiders have had wildly inconsistent quarterback play this season. If the team finds more stability on the offensive side of the ball, there’s no telling how big Bowers’ stats could be.
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