Las Vegas Raiders running back Ashton Jeanty, the No. 6 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, saw his workload drop to season lows in Sunday's win over the New York Jets. Jeanty carried the ball twice for 9 yards and played just 39.7% of offensive snaps, down over 13 percentage points from his previous low.
Fourth-round rookie Mike Washington Jr. received a season-high 25 carries and a 60.3% snap share, up over 25 percentage points. Raiders coach Klint Kubiak explained the shift during his Monday media session.
Kubiak said: "I stand by what I said (Sunday) that we're going to need Mike, we're going to need Ashton, we're going to need Dylan (Laube). They're all part of our success, run and pass. Ashton made huge plays for us in the pass game. He was phenomenal in protection like he's always been. The way the game went yesterday, Mike got more carries. Going forward, we're going to be counting on all three of those guys."
Jeanty caught three of four passes for 64 yards, continuing his effectiveness as a receiver (37 of 48 targets for 376 yards and three touchdowns this season). However, his rushing average is just 3.1 yards per carry, compared to Washington's 4.3.
Kubiak noted the distribution may vary weekly: "I think it's always a moving target. You see where your team is at and who's playing the best ball at the time. It's a 17-game regular season where things change every week. That's the NFL. We have a young roster and we're going to give guys opportunities and see what fits us best."
Jeanty's reduced role followed his pre-game comments about the Jets' defense, saying some players "don't really want to tackle." The Raiders won behind Kirk Cousins' passing, as the rushing attack averaged 2.9 yards per carry on 33 attempts.
Las Vegas faces a tough schedule: at San Francisco 49ers, home vs Seattle Seahawks, at Denver Broncos. It remains to be seen how the backfield split evolves.
