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Former Raiders offensive lineman lands with division rival

Originally posted on Dice City Sports | By Derek Hegna | Last updated Mar 19, 2025 11:58 AM ET

The Las Vegas Raiders have had quite a busy offseason.

Along with making important moves to improve the roster, the Raiders have made some tough decisions in order to increase cap space. One such move was releasing quarterback Gardner Minshew, who quickly found another NFL job with the Kansas City Chiefs. While the Raiders are unlikely to use the same offense Minshew operated, he could still provide some insight on the team and its personnel.

Another release was offensive lineman Andre James and, similar to Minshew, he has now found a home with one of the Raiders’ most heated rivals.

James has agreed to play for the Los Angeles Chargers in 2025.

According to a team announcement, the Chargers have agreed to a one-year deal with the former Raiders starting center.

holdin’ it down

we’ve signed C Andre James → https://t.co/Lg8H60kuls pic.twitter.com/CYgshWs5ot

— Los Angeles Chargers (@chargers) March 18, 2025

James was one of the last links connecting the Raiders to Oakland, joining the team in its final season in California in 2019.

James played all six seasons with the Raiders since signing with the team as an undrafted free agent out of UCLA. He played 89 games with 60 starts for the Silver and Black, with his best season coming in 2023. The Raiders signed him to a three-year, $24 million extension the following offseason, but a down year resulted in the team releasing him before the start of free agency.

It is unclear where James fits with the Chargers, but it is likely that he was brought it to serve as their starting center. He will likely compete with Bradley Bozeman and Zion Johnson for the role. It is the Chargers’ latest attempt in shoring up a weakness on the interior of their offensive line, as they agreed to a two-year deal with former Philadelphia Eagles guard Mekhi Becton on Friday.

Now with James on a major rival, the Raiders hope 2024 was a sign of things to come instead of an aberration.

This article first appeared on Dice City Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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