Why It’s Not Time To Panic on Ashton Jeanty

Through the first three games of the NFL season, the Las Vegas Raiders have shown more bad than they have good. Their season started with a win, and it looked like the Pete Carroll era in Las Vegas was going to give Raider Nation something to look forward to every week.

Ever since that win against the New England Patriots, they've been outscored by 28 points, and Geno Smith cannot get out of his own way. Nothing in this offense looks like it's going smoothly, and that includes Ashton Jeanty.

Slow Start

Sep 7, 2025; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; Las Vegas Raiders running back Ashton Jeanty (2) rushes the ball against the New England Patriots during the second half at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images | Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images

In three games, Jeanty has 144 rushing yards on 47 attempts for an inefficient 3.1 yards per carry average. After scoring a touchdown in his NFL debut, he hasn't scored another one since, and his targets in the pass game have decreased as well.

It's only three games into the new season, so it's not time to overreact, but Jeanty has not played up to his status as a top ten pick. However, here's why it's not time for Raider Nation to panic and start to question whether or not it was a good draft selection.

Not Time To Panic

With the current state of the Raiders' offensive line, a lot of fans will want to revisit their draft pick and wish that they had addressed it with their high draft pick. It's certainly true that their line needs help, but it doesn't mean that Jeanty is a bust or wasn't worth it.

The reality is that Jeanty was a generational prospect, and the Raiders knew they needed more explosiveness to their offense. The reason why he hasn't worked out as the Raiders would've hoped is that their offensive line can't adequately block for him, and he isn't getting enough opportunities.

Aug 23, 2025; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Las Vegas Raiders offensive coordinator Chip Kelly against the Arizona Cardinals during a preseason NFL game at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Jeanty's total rushing yards have increased steadily in every game he's played, and it isn't like he isn't getting a lot of carries. Jeanty is top ten in carries per game, but what worries me more than how much he's touching the rock is how they've started to shy away from him in the pass game.

In a blowout loss to the Washington Commanders, Jeanty didn't get a single target through the air. In the first two games of the season, they used Jeanty exclusively on screen plays. Jeanty can make magic happen whenever he has the ball in his hand. If their offensive line can't hold up in run blocking, it may be time for the Raiders offense to scheme up some routes for him to get the ball with space.

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