Brock Bowers shares honest thoughts on new Raiders HC Pete Carroll during OTAs

The Las Vegas Raiders are entering a new era under Pete Carroll's leadership. Although the franchise hired the oldest head coach in the league, Carroll's style, known for being full of energy, is exactly what they need after such a poor 2024 season.

The offense has gone through major changes. Geno Smith joined from the Seattle Seahawks and Ashton Jeanty came through the draft. The pair will play along with second-year tight end Brock Bowers, who dominated as a rookie and already received his first First-Team All-Pro vote.

Bowers spoke with reporters following Wednesday's Organized Team Activities (OTAs) practice. Asked about his feelings regarding the legendary head coach, the tight end explained the kind of impact he's having and why he's excited to be back with the team:

"He's been on fire, just lighting everybody up and really bringing the energy. I didn't really know what to expect coming back a little late, but I heard really good things and coming back obviously it's been awesome. Everyone's getting juiced up together. You get to know people a little bit better when you guys are all enjoying yourself and having a good time."

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Brock Bowers' strong rookie season for the Raiders did not earn him Offensive Rookie of the Year award

The Raiders' star was amazing during his first year in the NFL. He led the tight ends in receptions (112), yards (1,194) and scored five touchdowns throughout the year. He was only one of three tight ends above 1,000 yards in 2024.

However, he still did not earn the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year award. Despite being arguably the best tight end in the league, he lost out to quarterback Jayden Daniels, who led the Washington Commanders to the NFC Championship Game in his first season. The Commanders were 4-13 in 2023 and Daniels led a quick turnaround.

Even though he missed this award, the entire league took notice of Bowers. Now, with Geno Smith as the Raiders quarterback, he's set to have an even better year in 2025, firmly establishing himself among the league's elite.

Only Ja'Marr Chase (127) and Amon-Ra St. Brown (115) had more receptions than Brock Bowers in 2024.

About the author

Henrique Bulio is an NFL and College Football journalist at Sportskeeda and the Editor-in-Chief of Pro Football Brasil. He has a total 13 years of experience working in American Football, and playing quarterback at an amateur level in Brazil has given him a unique perspective of the game.

Henrique follows the Philadelphia Eagles closely due to Michael Vick's historic performance on MNF against the Washington Commanders in 2010. His all-time favorite player is Ed Reed; he believes that Reed is the greatest safety to ever play the game. Bill Belichick gets the nod as Henrique's favorite coach for coaching the Patriots to glory over two decades.

If Henrique were to be able to go back in time and watch one game, it would be Super Bowl XLIX, where the Patriots and the Seahawks played a complete, back-and-forth game that concluded with one of the biggest talking points in NFL history.

Technical deep dives are Henrique’s specialty, and he ensures never to use misleading words in his articles, since he himself consumes a lot of information off the web. He has had the privilege of interviewing Cairo Santos, Lamar Jackson, Jim Harbaugh, Sean McDermott, Bruce Arians, Matt LaFleur, among others.

Aside from football, Henrique likes to play poker and Counter-Strike.

Know More

Raiders Nation! Check out the latest Las Vegas Raiders Schedule and dive into the Raiders Depth Chart for NFL Season 2024-25.

Edited by Henrique Bulio