When the Las Vegas Raiders selected Jackson Powers-Johnson in the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft, they anticipated he would immediately step in as a starting guard. However, illness sidelined him for the first two games of the regular season after he had already missed considerable time due to injury during the offseason. Fortunately, his status is expected to change in Week 3, as he is no longer on the injury report and is ready to play.
“I think (Powers-Johnson) is in a good place now, physically, mentally, emotionally,” head coach Antonio Pierce commented earlier this week. “We’ll see how practice goes, but if I had to bet, I’d expect to see 58 out there.”
After Thursday’s practice, Powers-Johnson spoke about the excitement of potentially making his debut. “It’s just the love for the guys and the team. I love football, and big moments like this in a challenging environment make the game special,” he said, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal. “I’m fired up and ready. It feels like a dream come true to wear the Silver and Black. I’m really excited.”
“I absolutely feel ready to go,” he added. “I’m still working to improve my fitness and taking things step by step, aiming to contribute in any way I can.” While he seems set to play, it’s uncertain how much time he’ll actually see on the field.
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The Raiders currently face challenges at left guard, with Andrus Peat and Cody Whitehair underperforming. Additionally, right guard Dylan Parham had reduced participation in practice on Thursday, raising questions about his availability.
Despite the uncertainty around his readiness to start after missing significant practice time, seeing Powers-Johnson active this week would be promising, and he is likely to claim a starting role soon.
