Jackson Powers-Johnson’s groin injury has opened the door for Caleb Rogers, and the Raiders may be about to find out a lot more about him in a hurry.
Las Vegas heads into its Week 4 divisional game against the Kansas City Chiefs likely without its starting right guard, who hasn’t practiced this week after getting hurt last Sunday. If Powers-Johnson can’t go, Rogers should be the next man up - and the assignment is a heavy one right away. The Chiefs bring a physical AFC West front, and Chris Jones is still the centerpiece of that interior group.
For Rogers, this is a very different kind of opportunity. He’d be getting his first real regular-season chance with a functioning group around him in a more favorable offensive setting, and if he handles it well, Klint Kubiak has already shown he’s willing to make changes on the fly.
Rogers got a brief look in Week 3 against the New Orleans Saints when Powers-Johnson exited. He played five snaps, though two came on Kirk Cousins kneel-downs. On the three meaningful plays, he held up well enough for a player who had been cooling his heels on the sideline for hours.
There was a clean combo block with Tyler Linderbaum that helped spring a four-yard Ashton Jeanty run, and on another run he did his part to create space, even if the lane broke down elsewhere. His only pass-protection snap didn’t bring any real action his way, but he stayed active and looked for work.
Still, Sunday would be a much tougher stage. Kansas City rotates quality bodies inside, and Rogers doesn’t have much NFL seasoning to lean on.
He logged 284 offensive snaps across five and a half games at the end of last season, but those appearances came in a Raiders environment that wasn’t exactly built to showcase anyone. Las Vegas was sitting stars and effectively playing for the No. 1 pick.
Rogers’ numbers from that stretch were uneven. In 179 pass-blocking reps, he allowed three sacks, three hits and 11 total pressures. He was also inconsistent in the run game.
That said, his stock rose this offseason and during the preseason. The right guard battle was tight enough that fans didn’t learn until close to Week 1 that Powers-Johnson had won the job.
Kubiak has made it clear all along that he views both players as starting-caliber options. In that sense, this situation fits what he’s been saying for weeks.
And if Rogers plays well against Kansas City, the Raiders have already shown they’re willing to reward that kind of performance. When Darien Porter got hurt in Week 1 and Zeke Masses played well in his place in Week 2, Kubiak named Masses the starter. In Las Vegas, injuries can change the depth chart fast.
Powers-Johnson has been better this season than in the past, with fewer obvious mistakes, but he hasn’t exactly locked the job down. He struggled against the Los Angeles Chargers before bouncing back against the Saints, giving up two hits and three pressures and missing some run-game assignments.
There’s no question about the talent. The good snaps from Powers-Johnson are very good. But he hasn’t been consistently available, and he hasn’t been consistently steady either.
That leaves the Raiders with another possible path once Powers-Johnson is healthy. Rogers could move into a different spot and replace Spencer Burford, since Rogers has played right guard in the NFL and left guard in college, while Burford has been worse than Powers-Johnson this season, especially in pass protection.
So while Week 4 starts with an injury problem, it could end with the Raiders having a clearer answer on Rogers - and maybe a better idea of how to arrange the line going forward.
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