How Ashton Jeanty Can Finish Disappointing Rookie Season with Hope

Ashton Jeanty has fallen well short of expectations in his rookie season for the Las Vegas Raiders. Coming out of college, he was heralded as a bulletproof running back prospect.

In his career with the Boise State Broncos, he was elite in practically every desirable trait for a ball-carrier: vision, explosiveness, evasiveness, agility, top-end speed, catching, etc.

He was supposed to be rookie Saquon Barkley or Leonard Fournette. That didn't pan out, much to the dismay of the Raiders, their fans, and Jeanty's fantasy drafters. Despite the heavy disappointment, he's still notched over 1,200 total yards and 10 touchdowns this season. The fact that it's been a letdown is a testament to Jeanty's potential.

Kansas City Chiefs, NFL, Las Vegas Raiders, Ashton Jeanty — Oct 19, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs defensive back Chamarri Conner (27) tackles Las Vegas Raiders running back Ashton Jeanty (2) during the third quarter of the game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images | Denny Medley-Imagn Images

Ashton Jeanty can give fans a final game to remember

The Las Vegas Raiders need hope. They came into the 2025 NFL season with plenty of it, inspired by the additions of Tom Brady, Pete Carroll, Chip Kelly, Geno Smith, and Ashton Jeanty. Yet, they're likely to finish with a worse record than they had last year. That's been highly demoralizing for this fanbase.

Since moving to Sin City, the Raiders have yet to notch a single winning season. Thankfully, the offseason should bring renewed hope, as Las Vegas should get the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft to help rope their faithful back in.

Dec 7, 2025; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Las Vegas Raiders running back Ashton Jeanty (2) leaves the field following a game against the Denver Broncos at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images | Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

All they have to do to guarantee themselves that chance at a transformative prospect is lose their finale against the Kansas City Chiefs. Considering their convincing 34-10 loss to the New York Giants last week to fall into the bottom of the standings, the Raiders should have no problem tacking on their 15th defeat.

Ashton Jeanty 25 Touches, 188 Total YDS, 2 TDs vs TEX Today.

GET THIS MAN AN O LINE AND IT'S OVER.pic.twitter.com/Lb9wLEdpch https://t.co/lD4kTuQus4
— Football Performances (@NFLPerformances) December 22, 2025

Jeanty is the one thing that could throw a wrench into the works for Las Vegas. Ideally, he'll have a fantastic individual performance while the Raiders fall just shy of the upset and lock up the first-overall pick. He did that exact thing against the Houston Texans two weeks ago, going off for 188 total yards and two touchdowns in a narrow 23-21 loss.

There's been quite a bit of pessimism regarding Jeanty's rookie season, but he's nearly matched Bijan Robinson's first year and already has two touchdowns on the Atlanta Falcons' prized running back. He just needs 89 yards on the ground to surpass him in rushing total, too.

He could find quite a bit of running room against a checked-out Chiefs' defense. FanDuel thinks he's liable to find the end zone, listing him at +100 to score a touchdown. Getting a final peek at Jeanty's immense potential should be enough to carry fans through a long offseason.

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.

To see if the Raiders can lock up the first-overall pick, sign up for our 100% FREE newsletter that comes straight to your email with the latest news. Not only is it 100% FREE, but we also don’t spam you or sell your information. SIGN UP HERE NOW.

We'd appreciate it if you would follow us on X @HondoCarpenter and IG @HondoSr , and we also invite you to visit our Facebook page, WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE.