Brock Bowers took the NFL by storm as a rookie in 2024, quickly establishing himself as one of the league’s most dynamic tight ends. But while Bowers turned in a historic debut season, the Las Vegas Raiders’ year as a whole was turbulent. The franchise cycled through quarterbacks and eventually moved on from head coach Antonio Pierce. Now, with Pete Carroll and Geno Smith arriving from Seattle, Bowers enters 2025 in a far more stable—and promising—situation.
A New Voice at the Top
“[Coach Carroll] brings the energy, he brings the juice,” Bowers said recently. “It’s been awesome being part of that, and hopefully we get something special going in Vegas.”
Carroll, 72, brings over three decades of experience to a franchise looking for direction. Unlike Pierce, a first-time head coach last season, Carroll has built Super Bowl winners and molded locker rooms for years. And for a player like Bowers, who came from a championship culture at Georgia under Kirby Smart, the impact of Carroll’s leadership is already clear.
“They’re pretty different,” Bowers said of Pierce and Carroll. “Coach Carroll is doing a really good job of pulling everyone together… His big theme is competition.”
Carroll’s influence is more than just rah-rah speeches. Daily team competitions and energy-filled meetings have already helped reshape the Raiders’ identity. “You see him out there wrestling people and hyping everyone up,” Bowers added. “We have shoot-offs in team meetings sometimes. It’s pretty fun.”
Geno Smith: A Veteran Upgrade
After catching passes from Gardner Minshew and Aidan O’Connell last season, Bowers now gets to work with a steady, veteran presence in Geno Smith—someone Carroll knows well from their time in Seattle.
“I really like him,” Bowers said on SportsCenter. “He’s a really smart dude, really focused. He throws a great ball.”
Both Smith and Bowers have voiced a desire to keep building chemistry in training camp, and the early signs are promising.
With a championship-level coach, a proven quarterback, and one of the NFL’s most dangerous young weapons at tight end, the Raiders’ offense is suddenly looking like a force to be reckoned with in the AFC. Bowers isn’t satisfied with what he’s already accomplished—and now, with the right pieces around him, the best may be yet to come.