Former NFL Star Who Had 4 Meniscus Surgeries Sends Chilling Warning About Brock Bowers
This article was originally published on Total Pro Sports.
The Raiders entered this week with plenty to feel good about. Klint Kubiak was set to coach his first regular-season game. Brock Bowers looked ready to build on his breakout rookie season, too.
That optimism took a hit on Wednesday. Adam Schefter reported that Bowers underwent a meniscus trim on Tuesday in Dallas. Dr. Daniel Cooper performed the procedure, and sources told Schefter and Ian Rapoport that Bowers would miss “a game or two.”
The injury reportedly occurred during camp, but it wasn’t diagnosed until last week. That short window left little room for anything beyond a quick trim rather than a more extensive repair.
A Former NFL Safety Knows This Injury All Too Well
Not everyone reacted to the news with cautious optimism. Former NFL safety Su’a Cravens responded directly to Schefter’s report with a warning rooted in painful personal experience.
“I’ve had my meniscus scoped 4 times,” Cravens wrote. “Was rushed back each time and tore it over and over again to the point I didn’t have a meniscus to scope. Now it’s bone on bone with a fracture that grows each year and is 10/10 pain to twist or turn and run. They’re gonna ruin this man’s career with injuries at this rate!”
Cravens has firsthand knowledge of this ordeal. Washington drafted him in the second round back in 2016, but a string of knee and concussion issues saw his career unravel soon after. By 2019, those injuries had ended his time in the league entirely.
Medical experts echoed similar caution about Bowers’ situation on Wednesday. Removing part of the meniscus can leave that area of the knee more vulnerable to arthritis down the line. That risk lingers even when the immediate recovery timeline looks short.
The Raiders Already Have Injury Concerns Elsewhere
Bowers isn’t the only injury storyline hanging over Kubiak’s debut. Running back Ashton Jeanty has also been managing an ankle injury since late August. Still, the team opted not to place him on injured reserve to open the season.
Michael Mayer figures to step into a larger role at tight end in Bowers’ absence. He’s already logged 32 career starts for Las Vegas, so the transition shouldn’t be too jarring. Still, losing a talent like Bowers, who broke Mike Ditka’s rookie receiving record just one year ago, leaves an obvious gap in Kirk Cousins’ passing options.
Bowers reportedly believes he can beat the typical recovery timeline for this type of procedure. Given voices like Cravens’ now weighing in publicly, though, plenty of people around the league will be watching closely to see if that optimism holds up.
