Klint Kubiak isn’t saying much about Ashton Jeanty’s injury, but he had plenty to say about the rookie running backs behind him.
At Tuesday’s press conference, the Raiders offensive coordinator kept Jeanty’s status close to the vest. When asked for an update on the rookie back, Kubiak said, “Yeah, I’m not going to get into the injuries.
He’s on the mend.” When the question shifted to whether Las Vegas might start the season with Jeanty on injured reserve, Kubiak stuck with the same answer: “Not going to talk about injuries.
He’s on the mend.”
With Jeanty’s situation still unclear, Kubiak pivoted to the rest of the room and singled out undrafted rookie Mike Washington Jr. He said Washington has “had a good camp,” but added that Thursday’s preseason game will be the real measuring stick. Kubiak also mentioned Dylan Laube, Roman Hemby, and Dare Ogunbowale, while crediting running backs coach Omar Young for “doing a great job coaching those guys and getting them ready.”
Washington drew the strongest praise. Kubiak said he has “done a phenomenal job of growing up really fast,” and pointed to the steep learning curve from college to the NFL, where protections, fronts, blitzes, and routes all come fast and nonstop.
“I think that he’s a guy that understands that we are counting on him, and he needs to get up to speed quickly,” Kubiak added. “And he’s been mature about that, and he’s going to keep working.”
The stakes are obvious for the Raiders. Jeanty was the centerpiece of the offense as a first-round investment, and any move to injured reserve would force an immediate rethink of the depth chart and the Week 1 plan. That also puts the spotlight on a backfield with limited proven production: Laube and Hemby have little game experience, while Ogunbowale is more of a complementary veteran than a featured runner.
For now, Washington Jr. looks like the fastest-rising option in the group. What he does Thursday could go a long way toward deciding whether the Raiders are comfortable sticking with what they have.
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