Ashton Jeanty’s role with the Raiders took a sharp turn in Week 8, but that doesn’t mean his path in Las Vegas has changed for good.
Against the New York Jets, rookie Mike Washington Jr. handled the bulk of the backfield work, logging 25 carries to Jeanty’s two. Jeanty was used more as a receiver out of the backfield, catching three passes for 64 yards. The snap count followed the same pattern, with Washington Jr. on the field for 38 snaps to Jeanty’s 25.
Head coach Klint Kubiak denied that the reduced workload was punishment for Jeanty’s comments about the Jets’ run defense earlier in the week, even if the timing made that easy to wonder about. Whatever the reason, the Raiders clearly shifted toward Washington Jr. in that game.
That move caught attention heading into Week 9, and ESPN’s Dan Graziano reported that Las Vegas may be willing to keep leaning that way if Jeanty doesn’t respond.
“The Raiders leaned into rookie running back Mike Washington Jr. over 2025 No. 6 pick Ashton Jeanty in Sunday’s victory over the Jets. Jeanty hasn’t played well while Washington has, and the Raiders hope it serves as a wake-up call. If it doesn’t, they’re content to distribute the carries in Washington’s favor moving forward, as he offers a more explosive element in the run game right now.”
Graziano also noted that the Raiders are no longer treating Jeanty’s preseason ankle injury as the main explanation for his struggles.
“Earlier this year, the Raiders believed it was a preseason ankle injury that was slowing down Jeanty, and in truth that may have been part of the problem. But he has been healthy enough to play and fully practice every week, so they’re at a point where they want to see him play better. Sunday’s move shows how much influence first-year coach Klint Kubiak already has, since he wasn’t there when they drafted Jeanty and is playing the rookie ahead of a star who was drafted to be a face of the franchise just last year.”
Jeanty said after the Jets game that he knew in advance he would be getting less work in favor of Washington Jr. He also has no real way to dodge the larger issue: he has not produced enough on the ground.
Washington Jr. didn’t exactly light it up either. He averaged 3.3 yards per carry, and that number drops further when you remove a 15-yard run against New York. The Raiders’ run blocking remains a problem, especially in short-yardage situations, where Washington Jr. gained zero yards on six attempts.
Still, the Week 8 split does not have to define what comes next. The carry distribution could swing back heavily toward Jeanty in Week 9 against the San Francisco 49ers, and Kubiak said Wednesday that he still believes Jeanty can be a bell cow back in the NFL.
That doesn’t mean the Raiders are ready to give up on him. Kubiak is only eight games into coaching him, and Jeanty is still just a season-plus into his career. The role may need to be adjusted, and Week 8 may have been a reset more than a verdict.
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