Jackson Powers-Johnson is heading into the 2025 season as the Raiders’ starting center and he talked this week about how it came about last year that he would be switching positions.
“We’re playing the Chiefs the first time and Andre [James] ended up going down, and they were going to put someone else in at center, and I’m like, ‘Nah, f— this,'” Powers-Johnson said on The Rush with Maxx Crosby.
“So I went up to [Antonio Pierce] and I was like ‘Coach, respectfully, I’m going to play f—ing center. I won the Rimington [award]. I can do this and I don’t care what you say. I’m going to play center.'”
“He was kind of surprised. He said, ‘Alright.'”
The Rimington Trophy that Powers-Johnson referred to is the college award given to the top FBS center, and JPJ won the award at the University of Oregon in 2023.
By most reports, Powers-Johnson was drafted by the Raiders to play the guard position, but based on his own account, Powers-Johnson announced his position change to the team in week 8 of last year.
Along with Gardner Minshew, the Raiders released James on March 12 and Powers-Johnson has since said he will remain at center.
x: @raidersbeat
Perfect fit, he’s a bruiser. Good luck JPJ
SILVER AND BLACK BABY, COMMITMENT TO EXCELLENCE,WE GONNA BE A RUNNING TEAM, THE CENTER IS VITAL 💪😄,… RAIDERNATION!!!
Interesting.
I guess the coaches pretty much lost the team last year.
Love it, now get your *** in there and anchor the O-line
Yeah AP should’ve been fired if he didn’t have the simple foresight to put JPJ at Center. I would pay good money just to watch him blast fools all game. All Ashton Jeanty has to do is run up behind him. There will be gaping holes