Add The California Post on Google There is a fine line between an NFL coach being guarded and being deceitful.
Klint Kubiak, the Raiders’ first-year head coach, walked right up to it Wednesday morning.
A couple of hours before it was revealed that Brock Bowers underwent a knee procedure Tuesday and would miss multiple games, Kubiak told reporters he expected everyone to be available for Sunday’s season opener against the Miami Dolphins.
By then, Bowers had already undergone the procedure.
That means Kubiak almost assuredly knew the Raiders would not have everyone available. He had to have known that the most indispensable player in their offense would not be on the field. And likely for multiple games.
Yet when the California Post asked specifically about the status of Bowers and star defensive end Maxx Crosby, both of whom are coming off seasons in which they lost time to knee injuries, Kubiak gave every indication that both would be available.
“We’re expecting to have all our guys ready for Sunday,” Kubiak said.
Clearly, that wasn’t the case. Not even close.
Brock Bowers of the Las Vegas Raiders waves to fans after warming up before a preseason game against the Arizona Cardinals at Allegiant Stadium on Thursday, August 13, 2026, in Las Vegas, Nevada. Getty Images Coaches are under no obligation to help opponents. They routinely guard injury information, offer vague answers, and protect any potential competitive advantage. That is part of life in the NFL.
But there is a difference between declining to disclose information and creating an impression you know is untrue.
Did Kubiak come dangerously close to crossing that line?
He could have said the Raiders were still evaluating everyone.
He could have deferred to the official injury report that the Raiders would eventually release after practice.
He could have declined to discuss individual medical situations. Any of those answers would have protected Bowers’ privacy and the Raiders’ competitive interests without misleading anyone.
“That is hard to comprehend,” an NFL league executive said. “News like that doesn’t stay hidden.”
Is there a chance Kubiak simply wasn’t aware?
“His best offensive player had knee surgery, out of town, yesterday,” the league executive said. “So I can’t believe he didn’t know.”
Head coach Klint Kubiak of the Las Vegas Raiders looks on during warmups before a preseason game against the San Francisco 49ers at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Thursday, August 27, 2026. The 49ers defeated the Raiders 18-12. Getty Images This is Kubiak’s first year as a head coach. He is learning how to manage a roster, construct game plans, lead an entire building, and navigate the daily responsibility of speaking for an organization. There will be mistakes along the way, and Wednesday’s handling of the Bowers situation should be viewed as one of them.
Kubiak had every right to be guarded. He did not owe Miami a medical briefing. But next time, he should find an answer that protects the Raiders without pointing everyone away from the truth.
Bowers isn’t a backup whose absence requires only a minor adjustment. He is the gravitational force of the Raiders’ offense.
As a rookie, Bowers caught 112 passes for 1,194 yards and five touchdowns. He set the NFL rookie record for receptions and established the league’s single-season receiving-yardage record for a rookie tight end. He also broke Darren Waller’s franchise record for catches in a season.
Those numbers were historic. But they still do not fully explain his value.
Line him up next to the tackle and a defense must respect the running game. Move him into the slot and a linebacker suddenly has a coverage problem. Put a safety on him and the Raiders can create an opportunity elsewhere. Motion him across the formation and the quarterback gets another clue about whether the defense is playing man or zone.
He is a tight end by position, but functionally he is the Raiders’ No. 1 receiver, their most dependable third-down option and their best matchup creator.
That makes his absence especially damaging for Kirk Cousins.
Cousins is preparing to make his first regular-season start with the Raiders while operating behind an offensive line that still has something to prove and throwing to a receiving corps without an established No. 1 wideout. Bowers was supposed to be his security blanket—the player who could uncover quickly, punish pressure and turn an ordinary completion into an explosive play.
Michael Mayer will assume a larger role, but the Raiders should not ask him to become Bowers. Mayer is a capable blocker and receiver with his own useful skill set. He can replace Bowers on the personnel sheet. He cannot reproduce the stress Bowers places on a defense.
Tre Tucker, Jalen Nailor, Jack Bech and the wide receivers have to create separation more consistently. Ashton Jeanty and Mike Washington Jr. need to become factors in the passing game. The offensive line must give Cousins enough time to work deeper into his progressions. And Kubiak has to manufacture the favorable matchups Bowers ordinarily creates by simply walking into the huddle.
The priority must be Bowers’ long-term health. However many games he needs to miss, the Raiders cannot allow desperation to dictate his return. He is too important to this season—and too valuable to their future—to turn a manageable problem into a lingering one.
As for Kubiak, young coaches grow on the job, just like young players.
Here’s hoping he handles the next situation better.
