Raiders report: 2 key offensive players miss practice with injuries

The Raiders are dealing with injuries to key players ahead of their date with the Chiefs on Sunday.

Tight end Brock Bowers, who has missed two straight games with a knee injury he suffered in the season opener, did not practice Wednesday.

Coach Pete Carroll seemed skeptical Monday that Bowers would suit up against the Chiefs (3-3). He hinted the Raiders (2-4) could hold the 22-year-old out for one more game and allow him to use the team’s Week 8 bye to heal up.

Bowers, who led the team in receptions (112) and receiving yards (1,194) last year as a rookie, wasn’t the only important player that sat out practice.

Wide receiver Jakobi Meyers also didn’t participate due to knee and toe injuries.

Meyers, 28, leads the Raiders in receptions (29) and is second in receiving yards (329) this year. He’s received a lot of extra attention the past two weeks with Bowers out. Meyers has eight catches for 71 yards the past two games.

“It’s kind of how the game goes. If they take one thing away, someone else should be open,” quarterback Geno Smith said. “So, I think he’s just got to stay with it.”

Running back Dylan Laube (hamstring) was sidelined Wednesday as well.

Laube, a 2024 sixth-round pick, has played just 19 offensive snaps this year. But he has been a key contributor on special teams with four tackles and 353 yards on 13 kickoff returns.

Getting used to the rivalry

It’s a significant jump any time a player goes from college to the NFL. It’s been an even bigger leap for rookie running back Ashton Jeanty, who played at Boise State.

Jeanty is starting to settle in, however. The 21-year-old has the ninth-most rushing yards in the NFL (424) and ranks fourth in the league with 13 runs of 10 or more yards.

“Just getting more comfortable and comfortable with the scheme and then, obviously, being able to study teams and different players week to week,” said Jeanty, who was selected No. 6 in April’s draft. “Just enhancing my abilities and getting better at my details.”

Jeanty keeps learning things as he goes. He’s already discovered that Chiefs week hits differently at Raiders headquarters.

“I mean, seems like them boys don’t like each other,” Jeanty said. “But I’m a part of it now, so I’m excited for it. Rivalry games are always a lot of fun. It’s going to be a little more chippy, playing harder, so I’m excited for it.”

No panic

The Raiders aren’t panicking over their slow start.

As Smith pointed out, he and the Seahawks went into their bye last year with a 4-5 record. They still ended up winning 10 games and missed the playoffs on a tiebreaker.

That means the Raiders still have a chance to right the ship if they beat the Chiefs on Sunday and head into their break at 3-4.

“It’s never over,” Smith said. “It’s the NFL.”

The Raiders, who snapped a four-game losing streak with last week’s win over the Titans, plan to keep taking steps throughout the year.

“The key is to develop and get better throughout the season,” Smith said. “And I know everyone’s so fixated on just the results and that’s kind of like the simplest way to look at things, but there’s a whole process that goes into this. We got a lot of young players and a lot of guys playing together for the first time, so there’s a development learning curve for all of us.

“And so we’re just getting through that, and each week we’ve gotten better. And I think as we go on, we’ll continue to do that if we take the right approach.”

Contact Vincent Bonsignore at vbonsignore@reviewjournal.com. Follow @VinnyBonsignore on X.