After their Week 18 contest against one another, Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver Ladd McConkey and Las Vegas Raiders tight end Brock Bowers exchanged one another’s jersey in a now-trending video. McConkey and Bowers played their college football together with the Georgia Bulldogs before becoming two of the most exciting rookie players this year. However, it is clear that they are still learning the art of how to do a proper jersey swap.
The Chargers defeated the Raiders 34-20. In the winning effort, McConkey amassed five receptions for 95 receiving yards. Meanwhile, Bowers had four receptions of his own, going for 50 receiving yards and adding a touchdown in the process.
Ladd McConkey and Brock Bowers’ Jersey Swap
Following the contest, the two friends attempted to complete a jersey swap for each other’s game-worn jersey. However, after signing their own jersey, both individuals momentarily posed for the picture, forgetting to actually swap the jerseys with one another before the photo was taken.
As a result, numerous sports media outlets, networks, and teams have had fun with the moment, highlighting how it was simply because they were rookies and still learning.
The Chargers official X (formerly Twitter) account posted the video with the caption “just rookie things” alongside the in-video description, “POV: IT’S UR FIRST TIME DOING A JERSEY SWAP.”
just rookie things pic.twitter.com/mFdlKFWKEY
— Los Angeles Chargers (@chargers) January 6, 2025
In response, Georgia’s instagram highlighted how they loved the ongoing admiration and respect each of their alumni had for one another.
“Just a couple of dawgs 🤝,” they stated.
Just a couple of dawgs 🤝
pic.twitter.com/mVhFeY3aPp— Georgia Football (@GeorgiaFootball) January 6, 2025
McConkey and Bowers’ 2024 NFL Season
McConkey and Bowers have both had standout campaigns for the Chargers and Raiders respectively.
McConkey was selected with the No. 34 overall pick in last year’s NFL Draft. Since then, he has become quarterback Justin Herbert’s favorite target in an exciting, revamped offense under new coach Jim Harbaugh. On the year, McConkey has 82 receptions, 1,149 receiving yards (No. 10 in the NFL), and seven touchdowns.
McConkey and the Chargers qualified for the postseason as the No. 5 seed and head to Houston for a Wild Card matchup against the CJ. Stroud-led Texans.
Meanwhile, Bowers, the No. 13 overall pick last year, has had a record-breaking season in Las Vegas. Despite not having consistently strong quarterback play, Bowers had 112 receptions on the year for 1,194 receiving yards and five touchdowns. He ranked third in receptions and tied for eighth in yardage in the entire league. In addition, he recently set the rookie reception record to cap off his dominant debut season.
However, Bowers’ season came to an end after Week 18 after the Raiders did not qualify for the postseason.