Last week, the Las Vegas Raiders lost starting right guard Jackson Powers-Johnson to a leg injury that may sideline him for the rest of the 2025 NFL season. In the aftermath of this announcement, Raiders fans speculated about who would start in his place in Week 11 against the Dallas Cowboys.
The obvious answer was Alex Cappa, the veteran guard whom the team signed in free agency to a two-year, $11 million deal. He has been breathing down Powers-Johnson's neck the entire season, constantly challenging him for the starting role, so he seemed like a shoo-in.
With starting left guard Dylan Parham banged up as well, however, that paved the way for third-round rookie guard Caleb Rogers, who has yet to be active in a game this season, to get his first crack at playing time in his young career.
Raiders make Caleb Rogers a healthy scratch after he expected to start vs. Cowboys
Then, Rogers told reporters that he was starting on Monday Night Football against the Cowboys, and fans got simultaneously excited, but also worried. On the one hand, they wanted to finally see the rookie in action, but his revealing this to the media also gave Dallas an inside look at the game plan.
Head coach Pete Carroll assured reporters that there would be a true battle for whatever guard spots were available due to injury, and he talked at length about Rogers as an option. Yes, he seemed partial to Cappa, but at least the veteran coach was open to letting the young player compete.
Parham healed rather quickly, so he would retain his spot on the left side, then Carroll told the media that they would find out at game time who would be starting at right guard. Well, the Raiders released their inactives list for the primetime contest against the Cowboys. Rogers is not starting.
Rogers is a healthy scratch, just as he's been for the previous nine games. What an unbelievable letdown. To make matters worse, practice squad guard Atonio Mafi will be elevated to the active roster in his place, practically slamming the door on Rogers' chances of playing this season.
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If the Raiders would rather elevate a player from the practice squad, who joined the team just days before the season began, instead of giving their Day 2 draft pick a chance, then the writing is seemingly already on the wall for this young player.
Raiders fans are simply getting tired of Carroll, in an already lost season, not giving the team's young players a chance to show what they can do. General manager John Spytek drafted 11 players back in April, and only a handful of them even see the field, with just one having a significant role.
How is Las Vegas supposed to make decisions about its future if it doesn't know what it has on its roster? How are they to evaluate what their young players can do in a game-like setting if they never give them an opportunity? Raider Nation's patience with Carroll is wearing incredibly thin.
To make matters even more confusing, quarterback Geno Smith told ESPN's Jason Kelce and Ryan Clark before the game that Will Putnam would start at center on Monday. This begs the question of if Cappa or Jordan Meredith will start at right guard. Chaos.
Among the other inactives are usual suspects like Zamir White and J.J. Pegues. Tonka Hemingway will get the nod on Monday in place of Leki Fotu, who is inactive, and both Alex Bachman and Chris Smith II are inactive for the first time this season as well.