Raiders Get Big Ashton Jeanty News from NFL Insider

Las Vegas Raiders running back Ashton Jeanty is believed to have suffered a sprained ankle after leaving practice early Sunday, according to reports from ESPN insider Adam Schefter and NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

The team remains uncertain about the exact timeline for his return, but the injury is not viewed as a long-term issue. Officials with the organization expressed relief at the preliminary assessment late Sunday night. The Raiders declined to comment on the matter.

Jeanty went down during a team period at the indoor practice facility. He ran a route, dove for a low pass thrown by quarterback Kirk Cousins and landed awkwardly on the turf. Athletic trainers helped him off the field as he was unable to put weight on his right leg.

His teammates immediately took a knee and offered a prayer once he exited. Rookie running back Mike Washington Jr. stepped in for first-team repetitions the rest of the session. Washington had been sharing starting duties with Jeanty throughout training camp and has drawn positive reviews for his work so far.

The initial reports from the scene pointed to a possible knee issue, creating significant concern among coaches, players and fans. That early fear has now eased with the ankle diagnosis circulating Sunday evening.

Jeanty, selected sixth overall in the 2025 NFL draft out of Boise State, enters his second professional season as a central piece of the Raiders’ offense. Last year he handled a heavy workload despite the team’s broader struggles.

He finished the 2025 campaign with 266 carries for 975 rushing yards and five touchdowns, averaging 3.7 yards per attempt. He also forced 61 missed tackles as a runner and posted a 70.4 overall grade from Pro Football Focus across 770 snaps.

In the passing game, Jeanty hauled in 55 receptions on 68 targets for 346 yards and another five scores. Those numbers gave him more than 1,300 yards from scrimmage and 10 total touchdowns in 17 games.

One of the biggest reasons for optimism surrounding Jeanty this season is the addition of center Tyler Linderbaum, signed in free agency to a three-year, $81 million deal that includes $60 million in guarantees. The contract made Linderbaum the highest-paid interior offensive lineman in the league at an average annual value of $27 million.

Jeanty has spoken favorably about working behind the former Baltimore Ravens standout.

“The energy he brings every single day, I think it starts with that,” Jeanty said. “You could tell he just loves to play football. He’s just a baller, and he comes out and he’s consistent every single day. It’s real easy to run behind him.”

Linderbaum earned a 79.8 overall PFF grade last season with the Ravens, including an 83.2 mark in run blocking. His presence was expected to open clearer lanes for Jeanty in the outside-zone scheme installed by first-year head coach Klint Kubiak.

That partnership will have to wait until Jeanty is cleared to return. In the meantime, Washington is positioned to handle a larger share of the carries and receiving work out of the backfield.

The Raiders open the regular season soon, and any absence by their top running back would shift the early offensive balance. Further testing and evaluation are expected in the coming days to refine the recovery outlook.

For now, the silver lining remains that the worst-case scenarios appear to have been avoided. Jeanty has never missed a game in his college or NFL career, a durability streak that the team hopes continues after this setback.