Best-Case, Worst-Case for Raiders After Ashton Jeanty Injury

The Las Vegas Raiders took to the practice field again Sunday morning, aiming to take the next step in their development. Las Vegas will play its final preseason game on Thursday night against the San Francisco 49ers. That will be their last matchup against another team until Week 1.

Until Thursday, Las Vegas plans to do all they can to improve on every level. After playing some of their starters in their first preseason game and resting all of their starters in their second, how Las Vegas approaches Thursday night will directly impact the results of the first game of the season.

The Story of Practice, and Maybe, the Season

Yet the Raiders now have other concerns that may impact much more than just their season opener against the Miami Dolphins. Sunday's practice witnessed Las Vegas improve even more, but it also witnessed what appeared to be a significant injury to running back Ashton Jeanty.

During practice, Jeanty landed awkwardly while trying to catch a pass. He stayed down for some time before being helped off the field by trainers, having trouble putting any weight on one leg. As of now, it remains unclear how serious the injury is, but based on his teammates' reaction, it was not good.

Jeanty's injury would make this the third consecutive season the Raiders have suffered a significant early-season injury to a player they depend on. Brock Bowers suffered an injury in Week 1 last season. The season before that, Malcolm Koonce suffered a serious injury days before Week 1.

Until more information is released, there is only so much that can be figured out.

What It Means

The Raiders' ground game was undoubtedly going to be based around Jeanty moving forward. It is too early to panic, as nothing has been confirmed about the injury. However, if Jeanty misses significant time, it is hard to overstate how massive a blow that would be for Las Vegas.

It would be a significant short-term loss and would be a significant injury to the knee of a running back they drafted with the sixth overall pick just one offseason ago. Las Vegas has worked to add depth to the unit, but it's nearly impossible to replace Jeanty, let alone this close to the season.

Things could certainly work out for the best, and Jeanty's injury could turn out not to be as bad as it looked, but it was the first time I can recall Jeanty not getting up after going to the ground. It seems that regardless of how bad it was, Jeanty is likely to miss time.

The weeks between now and Week 1 may or may not be enough time for him to bounce back. Time will tell. Everything depends on how bad the injury turns out to be. The Raiders will now turn to rookie running back Mike Washington, who has had a solid training camp and preseason.

"I think Mike [Washington Jr.] comes to work. He works very hard every day. Mike comes and he studies very hard. He asks great questions. He's on his craft all the time, and it's something that you see translate into the practice field. It's something that we keep pushing him every single day,” Andrew Janocko said Sunday morning before practice.

“It's something that's always going to be a point of emphasis for him that he comes out every single day, he's prepared to the best of his ability, and then you see it translate onto the grass. So, that's something that we are always going to constantly be on him."

Sunday's practice was productive. The work the Raiders have been putting in was apparent. They are not the same team that took the field at the start of camp, and they are certainly not the team that last took the field in 2025. They have improved from the coaching staff to the last player on the roster.

Still, it is hard to think about much else concerning the Raiders after watching Jeanty go down the way he did. After an offseason filled with positives and progress, Jeanty's injury is a reminder of how fleeting success and expectations can be in the National Football League. Best-case scenario, the injury is minor.

Add us as a preferred source on Google