Will Klint Kubiak Keep Ashton Jeanty Benched?

In Week 8, Ashton Jeanty was effectively benched by head coach Klint Kubiak. The Raiders gave Mike Washington 25 carries, while Jeanty was reduced to passing-down snaps. It is not the first sign that Kubiak prefers Washington over Jeanty. 

Throughout the season Jeanty has struggled to produce as a runner. He is averaging just 3.1 yards per carry. He’s been the least efficient running back in the NFL, according to expected points added.

The Raiders’ offensive line is a mess, as they have tried out three different right guards in just eight games. But Jeanty doesn’t have a 20-yard rush this season, exacerbating the run game struggles. The former top-10 pick has only broken off a 20-yard run in three of his 25 career games. Meanwhile Washington has done it twice in eight games, while only receiving double-digit carries one time. 

That lack of explosiveness is partly to blame for Jeanty’s role reduction. 

But there is one other key aspect to Kubiak’s decision. He has no reason to honor Jeanty’s draft status. General manager John Spytek selected Jeanty with the sixth-overall pick in the 2025 draft while Pete Carroll was the head coach. Spytek is still around, but Carroll is gone. 

Kubiak has no reason to make sure that heavily criticized pick actually works out. If Washington is a better back, the new head coach won’t care if he makes Spytek look foolish for selecting Jeanty so early.

“Sunday’s move shows how much influence first-year coach Klint Kubiak already has, since he wasn’t there when they drafted Jeanty and is playing the rookie ahead of a star who was drafted to be a face of the franchise just last year,” ESPN’s Dan Graziano wrote. 

Instead of relying solely on Jeanty, Spytek actually wanted Washington. He stood up on the table for Washington during the 2026 draft to make sure the Raiders selected him. 

Washington was picked in the fourth round, so he doesn’t carry any of the stigma that a first-round pick would. A fourth-round pick could be cut and barely register as a news item. But Kubiak wanted Washington; he inherited Jeanty. 

If Jeanty continues to put up putrid numbers, Kubiak has no reason to give him carries.