Raiders Training Camp Report 25: Jeanty Injured, Pressure Mounts

HENDERSON, Nev.—One week from today, Las Vegas Raiders GM John Spytek will turn in his original 53-man roster for the Silver and Black for the 2026 season.

The pressure is mounting for many of the men on this roster, as the team, clearly in the midst of a Raiders rebuild best characterized as a youth movement, has to make some very difficult decisions.

John Spytek, Mark Davis | Darrell Craig Harris, On SI

Three Big Practices Left

Today marked the first of the final three days of practice. With the pressure on and the intensity at an all-time high for the year, gone are the collegial atmosphere of OTAs, the business-casual approach to mandatory minicamp, and the business-meeting environment of camp. These three days are more like the frenzy of Wall Street moments before the closing bell on a high day of trading.

Las Vegas Raiders GM John Spytek, and minority owner Tom Brady | Darrell Craig Harris, On SI

Borderline players fiercely try to put one last piece of tape on for the coaches and John Spytek to see. Secure players can breathe as they turn their attention to the long season, while others not on the bubble fight for a chance at the practice squad.

Ashton Jeanty

Roughly two-thirds of the way through practice, Ashton Jeanty was on a pass route and dove for a ball thrown by Kirk Cousins. He was being covered by Darien Porter, but from my vantage point, it did not appear that there was any collision.

Jeanty did not put any pressure on the right leg while being assisted off the field. While there has been no official statement from the team, Jeanty's teammates, upon noticing the injury, quickly took a knee and were seen visibly praying for the Silver and Black burgeoning star.

While the injury occurred on the right leg, it would be purely speculative at this point to try to assess the exact part of the leg. What has to hurt for Kubiak is that the team was holding a walk-through. They weren't even in pads.

The Team

Since Klint Kubiak arrived, he has preached competition. Normally at this time in training camp, teams tend to stay in pads with multiple roster spots up for grabs, or lean toward no pads if the battles are mostly settled.

Today, the Raiders were not in pads as mentioned above, but OC Andrew Janocko said there are plenty of spots on his offense to be won when I asked him about it.

“We're always competing. We're trying to find the best player at every position, and I don't think from the top on down, I think we're always evaluating to get the best player on the field. So, I don't think there's anybody that should get comfortable."

"Ourselves, as a coaching staff, we're constantly trying to get better ourselves, and we're evaluating ourselves all the time. And then we look around, and that's the same in every position. So, I think Klint [Kubiak] said it best: we don't want anybody to get comfortable."

The Wide Receivers

There is no doubt that this position is the weak link of the Raiders' offense. Klint Kubiak wasted no punches calling them out, and Janocko discussed that unit.

"From the receiver position specifically, what we're looking for is guys to get off the ball at the right tempo, guys to get their precise depths, guys to make sure that their break points are correct, and then guys that make moment of truth plays. That's anything. That's specific to that room, but it's what we're asking every position."

To Block, No Rock

Las Vegas Raiders WR Tre Tucker | Darrell Craig Harris, On SI

This team has multiple sayings that all point to the same premise: football is a business; take care of your business. Or as Bill Belichick says, “Do your job.” Klint Kubiak demands that his wide receivers block with the ferocity and commitment of the offensive line. Tre Tucker shared one of those colloquialisms with us today.

“I think as a whole unit, we've got to be better in the run game. I mean, that's where it starts. We can't eat if the run game's not eating, and as you guys know, that's been something that we've been trying to get better and trying to work on. Like, Coach Z [Zach Azzanni] just sent me something the other day – no block, no rock.”

Get off the Field

Another colloquialism is the constant preaching for the defense to get the ball back to the offense. It is a culture; it is a mantra that this defense has to get turnovers. Eric Stokes broke it down.

"Man, I still want to steal the ball. That's the biggest thing that we got to do. Especially on defense, you take the ball away, you give Kirk [Cousins], you get everybody more opportunities to go score, all that stuff. So, the biggest thing for us has just been taking the ball away. Let's go ahead and take the ball away. Let's go ahead and get off the field.”

Veterans

Aidan O’Connell (AOC)

There is plenty of speculation as roster spots get tighter around AOC. He has had some very high and some low moments with the Raiders, but the consensus around the NFL is that he is very intriguing. Janocko is thrilled to have him on the roster, as projections indicate the Raiders will keep all three QBs.

"I think Aidan [O’Connell], like all of those guys, to play quarterback in this league, you have to be very intelligent, and you have to be functionally intelligent. The things that Aidan sees, based off of his experience, and things he's seen, whether he's played the game or some of the other quarterbacks he's been around, he just brings a wealth of knowledge to the position that's really beneficial to everybody else and myself especially."

"He sees things in a manner where he can see it from playing the game, and he can see it from a perspective of how a receiver may see it or how a running back may see it, how the overall offense sees it. So, I think his just overall awareness of game and position is really valuable to us."

LB Segun Olubi

The Raiders are placing enormous value on special teams. More than any team I have personally covered. Olubi is a special teams standout, and for the first time all year, I now think he will make the 53-man roster, and the Silver and Black will carry five ILBs. Remember, that is where he is listed, but he is nearly exclusively a special teams player.

Jackson Powers-Johnson (JPJ) vs. Caleb Rogers

The biggest battle on this team coming into camp continues today with this RG battle. It continues today with JPJ back at practice and both men back in some rotation. Janocko addressed the battle.

"I see a group that really pays attention to the details. It's a group of guys that comes to work every day. It's not a group that you have to pump up. They're ready to go every single day. Whether it's the guard position, the center position, those are guys that really love their job. Their approach is something that's exciting and something that allows you to, as a coach, coach them hard and be on them all the time for every little detail because that's what they're asking for."

Tre’s Trusts

Tre Tucker’s entire career has been essentially the same story. His speed gets him open, and he has to stop and wait for the ball, usually underthrown. I asked him today about having a QB room that can get him the ball anywhere on the field, so he can go full speed and trust it to be there. His smile told the story as much as his words.

“Yeah, it's exciting. I'm just very blessed to be able to play with Kirk [Cousins], Fernando [Mendoza] and Aidan [O’Connell] because those guys just play with anticipation. Like, it's so cool to see. I'll go and watch the quarterback copy of a play, and the quarterback will start on one side and as soon as he flips his hips, the ball's out."

"It's not like I got to see what he's doing, it's just a trust factor. So, that plays a long way. It puts more pressure on us to get open and do our job. But the ball's where it needs to be and that's where a lot of good things happen.”

Rookies

Mike Washington Jr. (MWJ)

MWJ has had an outstanding camp, long before Jeanty suffered his injury today. While we wait for word on the former Boise State star, there was already plenty of attention on MWJ, as the young Razorback has been turning heads all camp, including Janocko’s.

"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."

Aug 20, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Las Vegas Raiders running back Mike Washington Jr. (30) runs with the ball as Houston Texans cornerback Alijah Huzzie (28) attempts to make a tackle during the second quarter at Reliant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

"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."

EJ Williams & Chase Roberts

I asked Janocko about two UDFA hidden gems making a push for the roster: EJ Williams and Chase Roberts. Two young WRs on a team that is anemic at the position and have earned consideration.

"It's this week, it's really every week, but it's every practice we go out. We're evaluating everything, and they're competing in everything they do. Zach [Azzanni] does a phenomenal job that every drill, every rep is something that's never taken lightly. We never do a drill unless we can see it in the game. Zach does a phenomenal job getting those guys ready to perform every day."

Rookie QB Growing Up

QB Fernando Mendoza had two interceptions today, one by Greedy Vance and the other by rookie Hezekiah Masses, and in my opinion, it was his worst practice in Las Vegas so far. That is nothing to panic about, as he is a rookie, and he has shown the football IQ to learn.

Janocko said of his rookies, "I think just his approach to his preparation is something that really stands out about him. How he approaches every day, how he is coming to ask questions. He's trying to get better on every single aspect. He tries not to leave any detail, any stone unturned and he tries to master the details of his craft."

Mendoza's rough day doesn't deter the veterans who love him. The youngster whom NFL executives loved before the NFL Draft has done nothing to diminish anyone's praise or belief in him in this building.

Tre Tucker said of his maturation, “He gets better every time he goes out there. Every snap he takes, he gets better, and that's what you're looking for, especially for a guy like him. It was really cool to just kind of see him command the offense, and that's what you expect from a quarterback. So, like I said, every time he goes out there, he gets better, and he's getting better one rep at a time.”

WR Malik Benson

All this young man does is impress, and he is doing it well. He has earned the trust of his teammates and coaches. While he still has to learn the nuances of the game, his growth and progress are tangible, and if he weren’t a rookie, I think he would already be called WR3. He’s earned it.

Tre Tucker is impressed with his Oregon Duck protégé.

“Yeah, he’s very, I would say middle demeanor, meaning like he's not too high, he's not too low, and that's how you have to be. You can't be way too high, and you can't be way too low, you just kind of have to stay in the middle. And like Coach Z [Zach Azzanni] says, you got to have windshield wipers. A bad play is going to happen."

"Those guys across from you, they get paid to make plays too. We just got to obviously be the one making more plays than they do, but when a bad play happens, or anything negative, you got to have windshield wipers and move on to the next play because that's the next most important thing.”

Watch Today’s Post Practice Podcast

Add us as a preferred source on Google