Raiders TE Brock Bowers (knee; questionable) trending toward not playing vs. Colts

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A matchup between two of the NFL’s rising stars at tight end has hit a snag.

Raiders TE Brock Bowers (knee; questionable) is trending toward not playing in Las Vegas’ game against the Colts on Sunday, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported Saturday.

Head coach Pete Carroll told reporters Friday that the team anticipated Bowers would play despite being listed as questionable.

The All-Pro could miss the first game on his young career. Ian Thomas and Carter Runyon would work in tandem to replace Bowers, with primary backup Michael Mayer also out due to a concussion. The club elevated Albert Okwuegbunam for Sunday’s game from the practice squad.

Indianapolis, meanwhile, is set to feature TE Tyler Warren, who like Bowers a year ago has quickly established himself as a rookie to be reckoned with while totaling 19 receptions for 263 yards — plus a rushing touchdown for good measure.

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Bowers initially injured his knee at the tail end of Las Vegas’ Week 1 win over the Patriots, a game in which he delivered a season-high 103 receiving yards on five catches (20.6 yards per reception).

He missed two practices in the lead up to Week 2 and received a questionable designation before playing, then headed into both Week 3 and 4 without a designation. This week, however, the Raiders elected to hold Bowers out of practice completely on Thursday and Friday to give him more rest in hopes he’d be ready to face Indianapolis.

It turned out to foretell holding Bowers out Sunday, too.

Although the Raiders’ season is teetering on edge at 1-3, Bowers getting healthy for the long term is vitally important.

He’s averaged 8.7 yards per catch for 122 yards on 14 receptions over the past three games while hardly looking like himself, and Bowers admitted Friday the knee was affecting his play.

“It’s painful, sore, just annoying [and] frustrating because I want to be back to full strength and going full speed, being able to separate from guys,” he said, via ESPN’s Ryan McFadden. “I feel like I can’t really do that to the best of my abilities right now.”

After Sunday’s game versus Indy, Las Vegas has two more contests — against the Titans and then Chiefs — before a Week 8 bye.

The Raiders will hope to have Bowers available for those tilts.

For now, they face the Colts (3-1) in enemy territory at 1 p.m. ET.

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