Las Vegas Raiders get bad news just days before their Week 4 game vs. the Kansas City Chiefs, but they’re massively prepared
The Las Vegas Raiders will be without right guard Jackson Powers-Johnson on Sunday against the Kansas City Chiefs.
The Las Vegas Raiders got bad news on Friday when the final injury report came out ahead of their game against the Kansas City Chiefs. Raiders starting right guard Jackson Powers-Johnson will miss the game with a groin injury he suffered against the New Orleans Saints last week.
Powers-Johnson missed all three days of practice. There was hope that he would be back this week for the game, as Raiders coach Klint Kubiak said on Wednesday. That never happened. He didn’t practice at all, so Las Vegas will turn to Caleb Rogers at right guard against the Chiefs.
Rogers and Powers-Johnson battled for the starting right guard job all offseason. That competition went nearly to the wire, through the last preseason game and the last practice.
Powers-Johnson is a former second-round pick who can play almost anywhere on the offensive line, especially on the interior. He has the talent to be an All-Pro caliber player. However, it hasn’t quite panned out for him yet.
To be fair, he’s not a bust. He has dealt with a lot of injuries and hasn’t always been in great situations. But when he has been in a good situation, he hasn’t taken as much advantage of it as you would expect. He has played well so far in the 2026 season, which makes this absence sting a little more.
Rogers is a solid right guard in his own right. If he plays at an elite level, he could keep Powers-Johnson from getting his starting job back. That’s the subplot worth watching on Sunday. Rogers doesn’t have much experience, though. He was a rookie last year and played only around 200 total snaps. So this is a good chance for him to get some valuable snaps under his belt.
Caleb Rogers will have to play against Chiefs DT Chris Jones
The Raiders’ offensive line will have a backup-type player on the field. Kubiak has said the Raiders have two starters at right guard, and I get that. But Rogers is still, technically, the backup. That’s where this gets tricky. That backup will line up against maybe the best defensive tackle in football, Chris Jones. Kansas City’s pass rush is much improved compared to the last few years.
Its run defense is really good, too. In that matchup, it’s hard to see it as anything other than a tough assignment for Rogers in just his second season. The Raiders will have their hands full on both early downs and in obvious passing situations. Expect Jones to test that right side early and often.
The Chiefs have their own injury news
Las Vegas isn’t the only team dealing with bad news up front. The Chiefs will be without left tackle Josh Simmons. When Simmons is healthy and available, he can be one of the league’s best tackles. However, injuries and other issues have kept that from happening consistently. Simmons is the only player Kansas City has ruled out for Sunday. Undrafted free agent rookie Khalil Benson will replace him. Now, Benson has started all three games so far this year.
But he’s gotten progressively worse each game. In Week 1, he allowed just two blown blocks, per Sports Info Solutions. In Week 2, he allowed three, and last week four. Both offensive lines will be missing a key piece in this AFC West showdown. For the Raiders, the question is whether Rogers can hold his own against Jones. If he does, Kubiak may have a real decision to make at right guard once Powers-Johnson is healthy.
