Major Development Emerges on Raiders' Jackson Powers-Johnson

Things are rarely easy for the Las Vegas Raiders; to expect the early stages of their rebuild under Klint Kubiak to have no hurdles would be to turn a blind eye to the Raiders' recent history. Las Vegas had arguably the best offseason in terms of coaching and roster additions of any team in the league.

Still, there were bound to be growing pains of all kinds, and some have already begun. Every team is working through the beginning of a new season, which requires coaching staffs to use weeks' worth of practices to figure out exactly what they have in each player.

This time period is even more critical for new coaches in their first season with a team. Klint Kubiak and his staff have begun to show, in training camp and in their first preseason game against the Arizona Cardinals, that legitimate improvement has been made.

However, improvement answers some questions while exposing others. Additional questions surrounding one of Las Vegas' most critical players continue to arise. The Raiders have learned plenty about their players and will continue to do so with each practice leading up to Week 1.

Feb 10, 2026; Henderson, NV, USA; Las Vegas Raiders general manager John Spytek at press conference at Intermountain Health Performance Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Their Tuesday practice against the Texans, ahead of the two teams' preseason matchup on Thursday, presented further questions about the future of Jackson Powers-Johnson. The third-year offensive lineman has exhibited solid play but has also been inconsistent in performance and availability.

Powers-Johnson missed Tuesday's practice against the Texans with an injury. The practice will be among the best work the team will get before they face the Miami Dolphins in Week 1. Las Vegas Raiders On SI beat writer Hondo S. Carpenter Sr. is with the team in Houston and will be providing updates later.

Future in Question

During his rookie season, Powers-Johnson missed two games, which is very respectable. He started 14 of the 15 games he played in, displaying versatility and a mean streak the Raiders need along their offensive line. However, he also showed a tendency to commit inexplicable penalties.

Last season, Powers-Johnson appeared in eight games, starting seven of them. He missed the rest of the 2025 season with injuries. The lack of focus that has led to penalties and the fact that he is coming off an injury-plagued season ahead of a pivotal third season in the league raise questions.

As legitimate as those questions may be, Powers-Johnson has done his best to tune out the noise and stay focused on having a productive season. Yet until he proves he can be consistent physically and mentally, questions surrounding his long-term viability will remain.

Following training camp, Powers-Johnson shared his thoughts on the questions surrounding him and a critical third season in the league.

“That's what you guys want to say. I'm just working. I'm trying to get better every day. We are trying to get better every day," Powers-Johnson said.

"It's not about what I do or what I put out there. It's about what we do. It's not one person. It's a whole team. What I try and do, and what we try and do as a team, is step out there and get better at one thing every day."

Next Man Up

Las Vegas has placed a heavy emphasis on adding depth to their offensive line. The injury to Powers-Johnson, which kept him out of practice, led to an early opportunity to put their offseason focus on the unit's depth to the test against a Texans defense that is one of the best in the league.

The Raiders will turn to Caleb Rogers to fill the void left by Powers-Johnson. The injury to one of their best offensive linemen is not ideal, but the additional work for Rogers and others ahead of the regular season will prove valuable for the Raiders moving forward.

With the return of Powers-Johnson and Kolton Miller from injury, and the addition of Tyler Linderbaum, the Raiders' offensive line has been the story of the offseason. For better or for worse, that will continue to be the case for Las Vegas until they firmly establish a starting offensive line.

Whether Powers-Johnson will be part of that firmly established line in the future remains to be seen, but if he cannot stay healthy, the decision may already be made. Las Vegas has every right to be aggressive when it comes to improving its offensive line moving forward.

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