The Las Vegas Raiders have been without two of their offensive linemen for awhile now, as both left tackle Kolton Miller and guard Jackson Powers-Johnson have missed significant time this offseason.
Miller is recovering from offseason shoulder surgery, while Powers-Johnson sustained a shoulder injury during the offseason program and hasn't returned to full practice since. Both are currently on the active/physically unable to perform list.
But it appears they are nearing their return. Head coach Antonio Pierce said Sunday that Miller and Powers-Johnson may return following the team's preseason Week 2 contest against the Dallas Cowboys on Saturday, according to Tashan Reed of The Athletic, who notes that JPJ is dealing with a concussion.
Pierce said he's hopeful to get G Jackson Powers-Johnson (concussion) and OT Kolton Miller (shoulder) back next week (after the second preseason game). It's not a guarantee, though. Both players are on the active/physically unable to perform list.
— Tashan Reed (@tashanreed) August 11, 2024
Reed reported back in June that it was a shoulder injury keeping the rookie sidelined, so the concussion is something new. It isn't clear how or when he sustained it.
ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported on Friday that the left tackle has been cleared by an independent doctor and is hopeful he can return in the next week or so, which lines up with Pierce's estimate.
"Left tackle Kolton Miller has been cleared by his independent doctor, so he's hoping to work his way back into practice action over the next week or two," Fowler wrote. "Week 1 should be looking good for him."
In Miller's absence, the Raiders have deployed veteran Andrus Peat, who had a rough go of it in preseason Week 1 after giving up a sack and two pressures.
Meanwhile, veteran Cody Whitehair has been playing left guard, where Las Vegas hoped to start JPJ. At this point, it would be surprising if Powers-Johnson is the starter come Week 1 considering all the time he has missed.
