Raiders rookie running back Ashton Jeanty is dealing with an ankle sprain that has put his Week 1 status in doubt, but head coach Klint Kubiak isn’t sounding ready to rule him out.
Kubiak said Friday that the team is still evaluating Jeanty and has time before the opener to see how he responds. The coach made it clear the Raiders are holding out hope.
“Still on the mend, still working to get him back,” Kubiak said, via the team’s official X. “We’ve got another week to assess how he’s gonna look going into this first game, but we’re counting on him.”
That optimism comes with some caution. Earlier this week, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport said on The Insiders that Jeanty’s ankle sprain is “more low than high,” and “not considered to be a major injury.” Even so, Rapoport also called it “a real injury” and said there’s a chance Jeanty could miss the season opener.
Jeanty, 22, arrived in Las Vegas after a standout run at Boise State, where he spent three seasons and was a two-year starter. He finished second in the 2024 Heisman Trophy race and was a unanimous All-American.
The Raiders selected him with the No. 6 overall pick, then signed him to a four-year, $35,837,732 deal that includes a $22,703,803 signing bonus. The contract also gives the team a fifth-year option to exercise in 2028.
Jeanty’s rookie year production already showed why the Raiders invested so heavily in him. In 2025, he appeared in 17 games and made 17 starts, carrying the ball 266 times for 975 yards, a 3.7 yards-per-carry average, and five touchdowns. He also added 55 catches for 346 yards and five more scores.
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