The Las Vegas Raiders will have some new people in uniform during their Week 4 bout against the Kansas City Chiefs. For the better part of the first three games of the 2026 NFL season, it has been the same players suited up in the Silver and Black, injuries aside. But things have been shaken up.
When the Raiders released their list of inactives ahead of Sunday's contest, a few things were notable: the return of Aidan O'Connell, a surprising healthy scratch, and the realization that three players were poised for their debuts with the team or franchise. Here is the full list:
QB Aidan O'Connell - Emergency 3rd QB
RG Jackson Powers-Johnson
CB Darrell Luter Jr.
SAF Tristin McCollum
DT Jonah Laulu
Dalton Johnson over Tristin McCollum? JJ Pegues over Jonah Laulu? Bryce Cabeldue active for the first time? It's all new...
Las Vegas Raiders' full inactives list in Week 4 vs. the Kansas City Chiefs
First of all, Brock Bowers is playing on Sunday after an initial scare. He was added to the injury report with an illness, and some reporters falsely claimed that he was questionable. His status never changed, and Bowers will play against the Chiefs.
O'Connell has missed the last two weeks, as he's been dealing with the passing of his father. After some time away from the team and originally being listed as questionable for the matchup, he is now available again as the emergency third quarterback. Welcome back, AOC.
Powers-Johnson being out was no surprise, as he was on the team's final injury report with an "OUT" designation as early as Friday. Caleb Rogers will start in his place for the sixth time in his young NFL career, with a chance to make some serious noise.
Darrell Luter Jr. is inactive for the third time in four weeks after Las Vegas claimed him off waivers following final roster cuts. His lone activation was in Week 2, when the Raiders needed him with Darien Porter sidelined due to an injury,
Now, let's get into the really interesting stuff.
At safety, Las Vegas has rookie fifth-rounder Dalton Johnson active for the first time in his career instead of McCollum. He impressed during the preseason, and apparently, the Raiders think Johnson matches up better against the Chiefs than McCollum if they need him.
Performing well on special teams in his first career game will be critical for Johnson to continue getting the nod.
Pegues being active instead of Laulu is interesting, as the latter has been active for all 57 games since being claimed by the Silver and Black in 2024. This seems to be a run-defense-based decision, as both Pegues and Thomas Booker IV have more run-stopping chops against an elite Chiefs unit.
This will be Pegues' 2026 debut.
Cabeldue was added just before Week 1, but he hasn't been active for a game yet. However, with Powers-Johnson out, the Raiders are activating him for the first time, and he'll be leaned on in a reserve role and probably on special teams as well.
Kansas City Chiefs' inactives list is quite bare
As fans knew before Sunday, starting Chiefs left tackle Josh Simmons will miss the Week 4 contest. But Kansas City has gone 3-0 without him, so this is hardly as big a deal as losing Powers-Johnson, even though Simmons is a great young player.
He is the only notable name on the Chiefs' inactives list, unless you count emergency third quarterback Grant Nussmeier, promising rookie defensive back Jadon Canady or preseason star defensive end Jack Pyburn.
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