Sportsnaut
The Las Vegas Raiders must address Jakobi Meyers‘ contract situation before their season opener with the New England Patriots. They may also need to discuss a different issue with Jackson Powers-Johnson. Who are the nominated leaders for this team in 2025? Raiders Daily breaks down some in-house matters surrounding the team to start game week.
After the preseason, Jakobi Meyers requested a trade while in contract negotiations with the Raiders.
A week later, Meyers’ situation remains unresolved, leaving the door open for questions about his short-term future. Naturally, pundits wonder if another club could entice the Raiders with a firm offer.
ESPN’s Rich Cimini believes Meyers is a name to watch for the New York Jets because of his connection with Scott Turner.
“Jets passing game coordinator Scott Turner, a Raiders assistant the previous two seasons, spoke glowingly of Meyers last December: “I tell people all the time, he’s one of my favorite players that I’ve ever coached,” Cimini wrote.
From Las Vegas’ perspective, it’s a good sign that Meyers practiced with the team last week, which shows communication hasn’t broken down between the two sides. Nonetheless, the club should work something out to avoid an in-season off-field distraction.
Read: Jakobi Meyers Requests Trade: 5 Ideal Destinations for 1,000-Yard Receiver
Jackson Powers-Johnson hasn’t said much about his move from center to right guard.
Former Raider and team analyst Lincoln Kennedy appeared on the Locked On Raiders Squad Show podcast and shared his thoughts on Powers-Johnson’s mindset (h/t Raiders Beat).
“Is JPJ, with actually what I heard, is he in his feelings a lot of times about what’s going on? He needs to snap out of it,” Kennedy said.
“If JPJ truly is in his feelings or have some way about not being the starting center and possibly spending time at guard, he needs to get over it.”
Kennedy’s comments are based on what he heard, not a report. However, it’s worth noting that Powers-Johnson was adamant about taking over at center when Andre James suffered an injury last season. He shared the story on The Rush Podcast with Maxx Crosby.
Jackson Powers Johnson explains to Maxx Crosby how he became the #Raiders starting center 🤯
“The first time we played the #Chiefs Andre (James) had gone down I went up to AP and was like Coach “Respectfully I’m going to play F**ing Center I won the Remington I can do this”☠️ pic.twitter.com/6AlKIS1rGb
— ShifftttyyyQB1🏴☠️ (@raiders1022) July 10, 2025
In 2023, Powers-Johnson won the Rimington Trophy, which goes to the best center in college football. He played well at the position in several starts last year but was an afterthought for the job this offseason.
Sometimes, a player’s silence on a subject speaks volumes. Regardless of how Powers-Johnson feels about his position, he’s a starter who can provide a significant impact on offense with his pass- and...
