Brock Bowers’ questionable status is the biggest concern for Las Vegas heading into Week 3, while safety Treydan Stukes has been ruled out. Most of the other Raiders on the injury report finished the week practicing in full.
The Raiders have an unusually clear dividing line on their final injury report. Several players who began the week with limitations improved by Friday and carry no game designation. Bowers went in the opposite direction: the tight end was limited Wednesday and Thursday, then did not practice Friday because of a knee injury. His availability for the Saints game remains uncertain.
Raiders injury report against the Saints. pic.twitter.com/sQYTu8RmDk
— Sam Warren (@samwarren83) September 25, 2026
Bowers’ knee changes the offensive outlook
Bowers gives the Raiders an option in the middle of the field, particularly when their quarterback needs a quick throw or a target who can make a difficult catch. His absence would remove that option from the initial game plan and force Las Vegas to distribute more of its tight end work elsewhere. Even if he is active, Friday’s missed practice raises a separate question: how much can the Raiders reasonably ask him to do?
The team will not have to settle that question publicly until it announces its game-day inactives. Fantasy managers face a more immediate decision. Bowers’ questionable tag makes him a player to monitor before lineups lock, but active status alone would not guarantee his usual workload. Anyone planning to start him should have another tight end available rather than assume his knee issue disappeared over the weekend.
O’Connell’s situation is different. He did not practice on any of the three days because of a personal matter, rather than an injury, and is questionable. His status affects the Raiders’ quarterback depth, but it should not be treated as a medical update or evidence of a change to the starting offense.
Defense has one confirmed absence
Stukes did not practice all week while in concussion protocol and has been ruled out. Losing a safety narrows the Raiders’ options in the secondary, especially when coaches need to rotate personnel or respond to an adjustment during the game. Las Vegas must now account for his absence before kickoff, not wait to see whether he can play.
Paye is the other defensive player whose status remains open. An illness kept him out Thursday; he returned for a limited Friday practice but is questionable. His participation at the end of the week is encouraging, though it does not establish that he will be available or ready for a normal workload. A final decision will matter to the Raiders’ defensive line rotation.
There is better news across the rest of that unit. Dean and Fatukasi were limited Wednesday with shoulder issues before practicing fully on both subsequent days. Porter followed the same progression with a foot issue. Linebacker Segun Olubi and defensive tackle JJ Pegues practiced fully throughout the week despite appearing on the report with knee and back issues, respectively.
Friday’s improvements provide depth
Wide receiver Dareke Young also moved from a limited Wednesday practice to full sessions Thursday and Friday after being listed with a hamstring injury. He has no game designation, giving the Raiders another available receiver regardless of what happens with Bowers.
The final report therefore leaves Las Vegas with two different challenges. Coaches know Stukes cannot play and can prepare accordingly; with Bowers and Paye, they must preserve alternatives until game-day decisions are made. The tight end’s status is the one most likely to reshape the offense, making Sunday’s inactive list essential reading before the Raiders face New Orleans.