The Kansas City Chiefs have long employed one of the NFL's best interior disruptors in Chris Jones. The Las Vegas Raiders are doing their best to plug some concerns on the offensive interior coming into Week 4's scheduled showdown between the two teams.
The Chiefs visit the Raiders on Sunday afternoon in a more-important-than-expected matchup between unbeaten franchises vying for AFC West supremacy. The Raiders haven't been this relevant in a while, and a win over the Chiefs would force every rival to look up the standings at them for once. But they're going to have to account for Jones, Peter Woods, and the rest of the Chiefs' interior rush with a starter ailing in Jackson Powers-Johnson.
Jackson Powers-Johnson's injury creates a potential problem
Powers-Johnson was the Raiders' second-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft and has slotted into a starting role at right guard. In Week 3, however, a groin injury forced Powers-Johnson to the sideline for the final series and jeopardized his availability going forward. He already missed the first practice of the week for the Raiders, and his status will be something to watch all week.
Fortunately for the Raiders, the offseason signing of former Baltimore Ravens center Tyler Linderbaum fortified the offensive front considerably. The import gave a fledgling unit a new anchor in the heart of it all, and the play overall has been stronger than expected. But when a starter goes missing at any position, it's a concern, and the potential loss of Powers-Johnson would remove a tough, physical protector up front.
Caleb Rogers would be next man up against Chiefs
If Powers-Johnson is unable to go, the Raiders would lean on Caleb Rogers, as they have in the past. Rogers was the team's third-round pick in 2025, and he filled in for Powers-Johnson when he was placed on injured reserve due to an ankle issue. It's also possible that fans would like to see such a change anyway, knowing that Powers-Johnson has allowed 7 pressures of Kirk Cousins already this season. That said, Rogers lost that positional battle in camp.
The Raiders are a more formidable version than any iteration the Chiefs have faced in recent years, especially on the coaching side, but every little matchup can make the difference, and the Raiders are going to want their full stable of horses in a game like this one. Watching Powers-Johnson's availability will be a key subplot to see if the line will be at full strength against Chris Jones and company or not.
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