Chip Kelly has been coaching football for too long to take anything for granted.

So when the Raiders offensive coordinator was asked about the possibility of tight end Brock Bowers and wide receiver Jakobi Meyers returning this week, he had a retort ready.

Even for the people closest to him.

“My wife says, ‘You going to get all these guys back?’” Kelly said. “And I said, ‘If it’s 1 o’clock and they’re standing next to (coach) Pete (Carroll) when we’re kicking the ball off, then I’m like, ‘Yeah, let’s go.’ That’ll be good.”

Kelly will cross his fingers and hold his breath until then. He’s learned the hard way throughout his time coaching in college and the NFL to never make assumptions.

“I had a player when I was at San Francisco that broke his leg in warmups,” Kelly said. “And all of a sudden, you have three tight ends dressed, what does it do to your goal-line package? What does it do to (your) short-yardage package?”

That said, barring a calamity between now and Sunday, the Raiders’ offense will be as healthy as it’s been since its season opener this week. That means Kelly can start digging a little deeper into his playbook against the Jaguars at Allegiant Stadium.

That luxury wasn’t available to him the last six games. Bowers was limited for three games with a knee injury and missed three more games with the same ailment. Meyers, the Raiders’ No. 1 wide receiver, missed the team’s last game with knee and toe injuries. Left tackle Kolton Miller has been out since Week 4 with an ankle injury.

Miller won’t be back against Jacksonville — he isn’t eligible to come off injured reserve until next week — but Bowers and Meyers should return and jolt an offense that’s averaging 14.7 points per game, the second-fewest in the NFL.

The Raiders ran 30 plays their last time out in a 31-0 loss to the Chiefs on Oct. 19, the fewest an NFL team has finished a game with since the 1999 Browns.

“Any time you don’t have Jakobi, any time you don’t have Brock, any time you don’t have Kolton, three of your top players, that has to impact you,” Kelly said.

Will better health lead to better results?

Bowers and Meyers’ presence should help struggling quarterback Geno Smith, who entered Thursday tied for the league lead with 10 interceptions.

Rookie running back Ashton Jeanty may also benefit from the extra attention Bowers and Meyers will command.

Jeanty, the No. 6 overall pick in April’s draft, has heated up in recent weeks. He’s averaged 4.4 yards per carry since the Raiders’ season opener.

Carroll is excited about the team’s improved running game.

“I can see it and feel it,” Carroll said. “And it looks like we’re really connected.”

Now the Raiders hope their passing attack takes another step forward with Bowers and Meyers in the fold. Carroll wants to do that without forgetting about the ground game. He’s committed to making sure Jeanty and backup Raheem Mostert get the ball.

“We’ve got to make sure that we’re giving them the opportunities,” Carroll said.

Tempered expectations

Kelly is excited about getting the Raiders’ full complement of weapons back. Especially Bowers, who has 131 catches for 1,419 yards since being selected in the first round of the 2024 draft.

“I think that anybody in this league would be excited if Brock was back,” Kelly said.

Still, Kelly wants to be cautious with Bowers on Sunday.

“We have to be mindful that he hasn’t played in a while. So, you can’t put him in there for 75 snaps and just say, ‘Hey, we got him back.’ There’s an easing-in process with some guys that have been out for an extended period of time,” Kelly said. “And a lot of that comes from our sports science department, and we’ll consult with those guys. Pete will consult with those guys (to ask), ‘What do you think the adequate rep count is?’”

Contact Vincent Bonsignore at vbonsignore@reviewjournal.com. Follow @VinnyBonsignore on X.