Former Raiders' Center Signs with Division Rival

Las Vegas Raiders center Andre James has reportedly agreed to a deal with the Los Angeles Chargers.

Sep 11, 2022; Inglewood, California, USA; Las Vegas Raiders center Andre James (68) snaps the ball against the Los Angeles Chargers in the second half at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Las Vegas Raiders released center Andre James last week, moving forward with Jackson Powers-Johnson at that position. 

The Raiders announced they were releasing the long-time starter along with quarterback Gardner Minshew II. James joined the Silver and Black as an undrafted free agent in 2019 out of UCLA. 

James did not have to wait long to find a new home. On Tuesday evening, the Los Angeles Chargers announced that they had agreed to a deal with James. 

Contract details are unknown at this time.

James makes the move back to the state where he played college football. He has a chance to compete for the starting center job with Bradley Bozeman, whom the team extended through 2027 last week. 

James was a good starter at center for the Raiders in 2023. According to Pro Football Focus, he allowed just 19 total pressures and was the 11th-highest-graded center in the NFL. 

He dealt with an ankle injury in 2024 that caused him to miss four games. Powers-Johnson played well in his absence, and the Raiders saw enough from the rookie out of Oregon to feel comfortable with him as their long-term starting center. 

The Raiders gave James a three-year, $24 million contract extension at the beginning of the free agency period. They released him just a year later, saving nearly $1.5 million with the move. 

James started 59 games for the Raiders, taking over as the starting center in 2021. It is tough to move on from a player with so much starting experience, but the Raiders are fortunate to have Powers-Johnson, who can seamlessly take over that role. 

Raiders fans may not like that James took a job with a division rival, and James now has a chance to play his old team twice a year. There may be some extra physicality when the two teams match up, and the Raiders take the field against James. 

The Chargers have made several moves to bolster their offensive line. They signed former Philadelphia Eagle Mekhi Becton, who successfully transitioned to guard last season to help Philly win a Super Bowl. 

The Raiders know in order to take down the Chargers, getting to Justin Herbert is key. They now have the chance to do that against a former teammate.

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