Las Vegas Raiders rookie tight end Brock Bowers has added to a standout season by breaking an NFL record set by Hall of Famer Mike Ditka.
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Bowers entered Sunday's game against the Saints with 1,067 receiving yards. He caught four passes for 38 yards during the first half, which took him to 1,105 yards on the season. This broke Ditka's rookie tight end record of 1,076 yards.
Additionally, Bowers is only the third rookie tight end in NFL history with at least 1,000 receiving yards. He joins Ditka and Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts.
Ditka set the record in 1961 while playing for the Chicago Bears. He started all 14 games and caught 56 passes for 1,076 yards and 12 touchdowns. He earned the first of five consecutive trips to the Pro Bowl.
Ditka never topped 1,000 yards or scored more than eight touchdowns in a season after this standout rookie season. However, he appeared in Super Bowls 5 and 6 while playing for the Cowboys. He went 1-1 in the Big Game.
Bowers, the 13th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, has started 15 of the 16 games this season. He entered the matchup against the Saints with four games of at least 10 catches and two games with at least 120 receiving yards. The former Georgia tight end has averaged 10.6 yards per reception while scoring four touchdowns.
The interesting part about these two seasons is the quarterback situation. Back in 1961, the Bears had two quarterbacks combining to start 14 games. Ed Brown started five while Billy Wade started nine. They combined for 26 touchdown passes and 3,000 yards.
The Raiders have started three quarterbacks this season as injuries have created issues. Gardner Minshew started nine games before a fractured collarbone ended his season. He threw for 2,013 yards and nine touchdowns.
Desmond Ridder appeared in five games and started one. He threw for 447 yards and two touchdowns. Aidan O'Connell entered Sunday's game against the Saints with five starts, 1,156 yards, and four touchdowns. He added to this total while trying to lead the Raiders to another win.
