The Las Vegas Raiders went against the grain of perceived bigger needs by taking Brock Bowers 13th overall in the 2024 NFL Draft. That investment has paid off nicely, though, as he has been one of the league's best tight ends since his arrival and arguably the best pass-catcher among them.
Of course, the time for Bowers to get paid is approaching, as he is eligible for a contract extension after the 2026 NFL season. The contract extension that Michael Mayer signed before the season has no impact on the idea that Bowers will be in Silver and Black for a long time to come.
Klint Kubiak is clearly leaning into having two capable tight ends who occupy their own skill set space.
The fourth overall pick in the 2024 draft, wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr., has already been traded. In the wake of that move, NFL writer Charles Robinson, via his NFL Blue Book Substack, has taken a look at the future contractual situations of the other 2024 first-round picks.
It's a no-brainer that the Raiders will pick up Bowers' fifth-year option, which is currently projected to be worth just shy of $17.5 million, if they don't just extend him before then. Beyond that, as Robinson outlined, things could get complicated if Bowers wants to be paid like a wide receiver.
Does Brock Bowers have a case to be treated like a WR in contract negotiations?
Here's what Robinson had to say on that matter:
"Thanks to original-ballot Pro Bowl selections in 2024 and 2025, Bowers’ 5th-year option is already projected in the maximum tier at $17.479 million. He’s already arguably the league’s most dominant young tight end and should end up signing a contract extension next offseason. There’s one extremely interesting wrinkle here, though.
"Opponents have noted that through three games this season, new head coach Klint Kubiak is utilizing Bowers more like a big mismatch wideout than a classic tight end. That could create some interesting contract negotiations when it comes to an extension. Wide receiver money is exponentially more lucrative than tight end money. The question is whether Bowers’ representatives choose to pursue his extension from wide receiver comps or tight end comps. Stay tuned to this one."
The tight end market is on the rise, as evidenced by Mayer's extension, but it will never reach where the wide receiver market is.
Bowers has always been used more like a wide receiver than a traditional in-line tight end. In his first two seasons as a Raider, according to Pro Football Focus, he lined up for 59.3 and 56.3 percent of his snaps out wide or in the slot.
Through Week 6, per PFF, Bowers has lined up out wide or in the slot on 81.4 percent of his snaps, as Klint Kubiak is treating him like a true wide receiver. If that continues, and it surely will, his representation could argue that he should be treated like a wide receiver when it comes to talking about his contract.
It's been a while, but we've seen a situation like this before.
Jimmy Graham's plight could work against Bowers and in favor of Raiders
After lining up for two-thirds of his snaps out wide or in the slot during the 2013 season, New Orleans Saints tight end Jimmy Graham argued that he should be treated like a wide receiver for franchise tag purposes.
That was a difference of about $5 million back then, and the difference is projected to be about $13 million in 2027. That is a significant chunk of change.
An arbitrator ultimately ruled against Graham, arguing that since he still lined up within four yards of the offensive tackle for most of his snaps, he was still considered a tight end. That distinction didn't really hold up then, with wideouts lining up similarly in the slot, and it absolutely doesn't hold up now.
But a baseline distinction was established, and the issue Graham presented was put to bed.
Graham ultimately got a four-year, $40 million deal from the Saints, with $20 million guaranteed. At the time, if he had been a wide receiver, he would've been a tier below the highest-paid at the position in both annual average and guaranteed money.
Bowers is in line to reset the tight end market with his contract extension, perhaps pushing toward $30 million per year. So it may not ultimately matter if his agent argues that he should be regarded as a wide receiver, but the possibility is something to be aware of when negotiations officially begin.
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