The Raiders got a real jolt on Wednesday, and it may have taken away Miami’s best shot at leveling the field in Week 1.
Ashton Jeanty, whose training camp injury sent Las Vegas fans on a wild swing from worst-case fears to cautious relief, is set to practice this week, according to Klint Kubiak. The Raiders coach went a step further, saying he is "expecting to have all our guys ready for Sunday."
That still leaves Jeanty’s actual game status unresolved, but it’s a clear move in the right direction. And for a Raiders team that never placed him on IR and kept only three running backs on the 53-man roster, the possibility of having him available against the Miami Dolphins changes plenty.
Kubiak still wouldn’t say how much Jeanty would do in practice or what his final designation might be. He said that would depend on what Jeanty can handle and that the injury report would tell the full story. Even so, the fact that Jeanty is on track to get back on the field is enough to make this more than just a minor update.
It matters because the Dolphins’ defense had one area where it could point to an edge: slowing down the run. Miami’s front seven is considered the stronger part of its roster, and if Las Vegas were forced to lean on rookie Mike Washington Jr., that matchup would look a lot friendlier for the Dolphins.
But Jeanty’s return would wipe out that edge in a hurry.
Washington Jr., a Day 3 pick in April, may be capable of carrying the load, but this would be his first official NFL game. Behind him, the Raiders’ depth gets thin fast, with Dylan Laube and a practice squad player in the mix. That’s why Jeanty practicing changes the conversation so much - now Miami has to prepare for a back with real experience instead of settling in against a rookie.
The other piece that makes Jeanty so valuable is the stuff that doesn’t always show up in the box score. Pass protection, checkdowns, the little assignments that keep drives alive - those become huge once the games count. Jeanty is better equipped to help in those spots than a first-time player just trying to survive his debut.
And that uncertainty is exactly what Miami does not want.
The Dolphins are already dealing with a roster that was stripped down this offseason as part of a rebuild, and if they knew Las Vegas couldn’t effectively run the ball, they could build their plan around that. Instead, Wednesday’s update leaves Jeff Hafley and his defense guessing. If Jeanty plays, the Raiders’ rushing attack suddenly looks much tougher to contain.
On paper, Miami’s best path was to make the Raiders one-dimensional. Jeanty being back, or even just trending that way, threatens to take that path away before the opener even kicks off.
In Other News...
Raiders Depth Chart Just Settled Several Big Week 1 Battles
The Raiders finally put some structure around the opening weeks of their 2026 season by releasing an official depth chart before Week 1, and it answered several of the roster questions that had lingered through camp. Kirk Cousins is the starting quarterback, while battles at right guard and the second cornerback spot are now settled on paper, giving Las Vegas a clearer sense of how the first game plan will come together.
There is also some important clarity on special teams and the back end of the defense, where Dylan Laube and Dareke Young will handle kick returns and Malik Benson is listed as the punt returner. On defense, veteran Foley Fatukasi has carved out a meaningful place in the defensive tackle rotation, and Stukes is set to start at free safety ahead of Isaiah Pola-Mao, a sign the Raiders are leaning into a few different lineup choices as they head into the opener. [Read more 🡒]
Brock Bowers Suddenly Leaves Raiders With A Big Week 1 Problem
Brock Bowers knee situation has quickly turned into one of the biggest early storyline shifts around the Raiders, because the tight end is not just another piece of the offense. After undergoing a meniscus trim, he is expected to miss one or two games, leaving Las Vegas to navigate the start of the season without one of its most important playmakers.
For a Raiders team trying to get its footing in Week 1, the timing is far from ideal. Bowers had already dealt with a knee issue earlier in 2025, and his absence has even moved the betting market for the upcoming matchup with the Miami Dolphins, a reminder of how much pressure now falls on the rest of the offense to pick up the slack. [Read more 🡒]
Raiders May Be Ready To Use Brock Bowers Very Differently
The early read on Brock Bowers in Las Vegas is that the Raiders may not be treating him like a conventional tight end at all. Head coach Klint Kubiak is expected to feature the first-round pick heavily in the offense, and the buzz around the league has only grown as former coaches and media voices have described him as the kind of weapon who can shape how a passing game is built.
That shift matters for a team that took plenty of heat when it used a first-round pick on Bowers in the first place, only for the move to start looking smarter to outside evaluators. The more intriguing question now is how far the Raiders are willing to go in pushing his role beyond the traditional tight-end label, especially with some around the game already talking about him in terms usually reserved for wide receivers. [Read more 🡒]