The Las Vegas Raiders have put together a handful of strong defensive performances during the 2025 NFL season, which has shown the unit's potential. But mostly, they've struggled to keep up, as they're paying the price for letting so many talented players leave in free agency last offseason.
One of the key holdovers, free safety Isaiah Pola-Mao, was expected to take a major leap this season in his first opportunity as a full-time starter. The new leadership tandem of Pete Carroll and John Spytek even gave him a two-year contract extension before seeing him play in person.
But Pola-Mao has struggled quite a bit adjusting to the new-look defense that blends returning defensive coordinator Patrick Graham's philosophies with Carroll's. Luckily, safety Lonnie Johnson Jr. may soon return from Injured Reserve, which should help out the back end of the defense.
Promising safety Lonnie Johnson Jr. returns to Raiders practice
Johnson broke his fibula during a mock game at Allegiant Stadium before the preseason opener, so he's been out for nearly three months. However, on Monday, the Raiders announced that Johnson had returned to practice ahead of Week 9's game against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Roughly two weeks ago, Johnson started doing some work on the field, and Raiders fans couldn't wait to get him back into the fold. After all, he was reportedly a stud during OTAs and training camp, and he's a great special teams player if nothing else.
He was commonly the third safety to rotate in behind Pola-Mao and Jeremy Chinn, which will allow Las Vegas to play more big nickel packages where Chinn rolls up into the slot, and Pola-Mao and Johnson remain as the high safeties.
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Las Vegas hasn't exactly displayed much confidence in the rest of its safeties, as Tristin McCollum leads the group with 27 defensive snaps played on the season. Chris Smith II has played just three, and Terrell Edmunds has played just one, and neither has seen the field since Week 3.
Pola-Mao also got hurt in Week 7 against the Kansas City Chiefs, and his status for this weekend's game is currently unknown. Having Johnson back will be critical to either replace Pola-Mao if he's out, spell him if he needs to play limited reps, or just improve the defense with everyone available.
Hopefully, Johnson can get back up to speed quickly and play quite a bit, which could allow Pola-Mao to play in the box more, where he has thrived over the last few seasons. It'll be interesting to see what corresponding move the Raiders make to clear space for Johnson, as they'll need him immediately.