Ashton Jeanty’s availability allows Klint Kubiak to use full playbook

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To Jeanty or not to Jeanty?

That’s the ultimate question ever since the Las Vegas Raiders’ prized sixth-0verall pick from the 2025 NFL Draft went down with a right ankle injury during a practice back on August 23. It was a collective gasp moment for the team and Raider Nation as Jeanty reportedly had to be helped off the field and couldn’t put any weight on his right leg after he dove for a low pass and got hurt.

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But no fret.

Jeanty is roaring to go and the Silver & Black couldn’t be happier as Las Vegas preps for it’s season-opening home date with the visiting Miami Dolphins this Sunday. Having their RB1 Week 1 is certainly a a jolt of good news for a a Raiders team needing one.

Jeanty having a clean bill of health, playing, and contributing much like he did during his rookie season last year — 975 yards rushing with five touchdowns alongside 346 yards receiving for another five end zone visits as a 17-game starter in Year 1 — is much needed after a gut-punch of a loss tight end Brock Bowers is.

The Raiders elite tight end reportedly hurt his knee in practice late last week which facilitated a meniscus trim this past Tuesday in Dallas. While reports surfaced Bowers is expected to miss one to two games, former NFL safety Su’a Cravens provided his personal insight on his own meniscus injury and end result, to provide an example of a longer timeframe for recovery.

Not to say this is what Bowers’ timeline will be, but an example of timing and end result. Balancing Bowers’ want to return and his health will be key for Las Vegas going forward.

Jeanty’s return, play time, and production can help offset the blow of losing Bowers a bit, however.

The 22-year-old Boise State product is equal parts effective runner and receiver and with head coach Klint Kubiak now the primary offensive architect and play caller, the expectation is for Jeanty to become an all-around weapon for the Raiders going forward. And based on Wednesday footage of Jeanty practicing, there’s no noticeable limp or wrapping around his right ankle, and he’s able to burst and cut as he normally would.

Las Vegas undoubtedly lost a dynamic weapon in Bowers but Jeanty provides a versatile weapon that can be a centerpiece-type. And having the 5-foot-8 and 208-pound back listed as a full participant during practices Wednesday and Thursday, per the daily injury report teams must produce, is a fortuitous turn of events for the Silver & Black.

“We’re happy to have Ashton back on the field, get him ready to go,” Raiders offensive coordinator Andrew Janocko said on Thursday. “He comes out with that big smile on his face, the energy he brings to this offense and to this organization is undeniable. So, just happy to have him back out working.”

We’ll see if there are any limitations to Jeanty’s snap counts and usage this Sunday but a hampered RB1 would — without questions — affect Kubiak’s Raiders offense. It’s a system that is heavily predicated on the run which requires the ground game to be not on in-sync but productive to open up the rest of Kubiak’s playbook.

The ability to plant and explode is vital in both the ground game and air attack and if Jeanty is limited in that fashion in any way or if the Raiders decide to be cautious and quell his snaps, the offensive strategy is going to be altered. Those sharp cuts Jeanty can make running routes as a receiver and making defenders miss or dashing through a hole as a runner is what makes the tailback dynamic and difficult to defend and we’ll see how prolonged repetition affects his ankle.

It may or may not. But what’s unquestioned is Jeanty’s value as a safety valve for quarterback Kirk Cousins on check downs and as a pass protector in the backfield.

However, the Raiders drafting Arkansas tailback Mike Washington Jr. in the fourth round of the 2026 NFL Draft can mitigate that.

A much bigger running back at 6-foot-2 and 228 pounds along with 4.33-second 40-yard dash timed speed, the 122nd overall pick in the draft dazzled with 168 yards rushing on 23 carries in preseason play. While it remains to be seen how Washington operates as a receiver and pass protector in the backfield, he has the requisite size, speed, and willingness to do both — which are vital aspects in a Kubiak offense.

“I’d say Mike’s done a lot of good things well. He’s come in here, he’s competed every single day,” Janocko said of the rookie. “We’ve put a lot of stress on him, whether it be physically, mentally, different things we’re asking about him. So, excited to see how that translates to a real ball game. But Mike works his butt off every day, so want to see what happens on Sunday.”

Head-to-Head

Sunday’s matchup marks the 44th meeting between the Raiders and Dolphins. The overall series is knotted up at 21-21-1 but Miami holds the regular season advantage with Las Vegas trailing 18-20-1. The Silver & Black are 3-1 all-time against the Dolphins in playoff play, though.

The Raiders have lost the last two meetings — 34-19 in 2024 and 20-13 in 2023. And the last time the team toppled the Dolphins was in 2021 a 31-28 victory.

In the last 11 matchups between the two teams (since 2008), the Raiders have only two wins in that span (the 2021 win and a 27-24 victory in 2017).

Quote of Note:

“A lot. I felt like all of a sudden, he (Treydan Stukes) was playing with more confidence. He was playing faster and communicating loudly. I think even he mentioned the other day, it was somewhere in middle of training camp, but those are the decisions that they make to carry themselves a certain way.”

—Las Vegas Raiders defensive coordinator Rob Leonard on 2026 second-round pick Treydan Stukes

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