All-Pro tight end Brock Bowers exited Sunday’s game against the New England Patriots with a knee injury.

Meanwhile, Elandon Roberts, one of the emotional leaders on defense, has been battling through pain of his own. The veteran linebacker’s shoulder injury, though initially downplayed, has grown more concerning as practice reps dwindled. Coaches have called him “the heartbeat” of the linebacker room — a player who delivers not just tackles, but tone-setting hits that lift the entire defense. Without him, the Raiders’ front seven could lose that controlled aggression that’s defined their recent wins.

Inside the facility, coaches are weighing options. Offensive coordinator Luke Getsy faces the question of how to keep the passing game unpredictable if Bowers is limited. Expect more two-tight-end sets, with Michael Mayer stepping into a heavier workload. On defense, the burden may fall to Robert Spillane and Divine Deablo to command the middle — both capable, but neither with Roberts’ trademark presence in traffic.

Fans, of course, are restless. “If Bowers sits, that’s half our offense gone,” one fan posted on X, while another countered, “It’s next man up. This team’s built for adversity.” Those contrasting tones mirror the tension across Raider Nation — equal parts anxiety and belief.

The primetime opponent looms large — a team that thrives on exposing mismatches. Losing either Bowers or Roberts would force head coach Antonio Pierce to recalibrate not just strategy, but emotion. Pierce, who’s preached toughness and adaptability since taking over, now faces the test of those very words.

As the Raiders inch toward kickoff, the spotlight grows harsher. If Bowers plays, will he be limited? If Roberts sits, who becomes the defensive spark? Those questions may define not just the night, but the trajectory of a team still trying to prove it belongs in the AFC playoff conversation.

For now, uncertainty is the theme — but so is opportunity. And in the NFL, sometimes the most memorable stories are written by the next man up.

Before leaving the game, his impact was felt in a big way to the tune of 103 receiving yards on five catches. While only in his second season, it was his third career game with at least 100 yards.

“Brock is a tremendous asset,” Geno Smith said postgame. “He gives us the advantage in personnel because he’s just a tremendous player all around. And so D coordinators, they’ve got to figure out how they want to guard him, and we’ve got to adjust to it.”

His availability would mean a lot to a Raiders squad riding the wave of their Week 1 victory and heading into a showdown against a tough Los Angeles Chargers defense. While Bowers said postgame he felt there were no concerns heading into Week 2, we’ll know more about the extent of his status after the team’s first practice Thursday and the subsequent injury report.

“I’m not sure. We’ll see,” Bowers said Thursday of his game status. “We’ll see how it’s feeling throughout the week, but I’m hoping to play.”

In the case Bowers won’t be ready for Monday Night Football, Michael Mayer is capable of filling in after four catches for 38 receiving yards against the Patriots.

White stepped over to MIKE linebacker and delivered, leading the Raiders in solo tackles (eight) along with an 83.9 tackling grade from Pro Football Focus.

“He was a hammer. He looked good,” Carroll said about White. “I was really excited that his presence was so obvious. He’s had a couple years where his game hasn’t been at that level that he played at yesterday, and so, he’s just getting going and had fun playing. He handled a lot of communication, and he hit the heck out of it. That was really encouraging, really fired up for him.”

Along with White, linebackers Tommy Eichenberg and Jamal Adams stepped in and played a big part in the second half. The two linebackers combined for 39 reps, with Adams recording three solo tackles and a quarterback hit. His 90.9 defensive grade from Pro Football Focus was also the highest of any Raider from Week 1.

“Tommy was the one that had to answer the call because he came in [for Roberts],” Carroll said. “Jamal was in and out of the game anyway as we were rotating him through. I thought Tommy did a really good job of jumping out there, communicating, doing right, picking up and not letting that be a factor. Jamal played a nice game too. He was active and moving around. But I really credit Tommy with coming off the bench. It’s hard to do that and play as actively as he did.”

Pete Carroll addressed Roberts injury status before Thursday’s practice saying, “he’s not looking at this game like he can’t play.” However if he’s unable to suit up, it’s presumptive Eichenberg and Adams will step into larger roles to complement White and Pratt.