Former Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty left Las Vegas Raiders practice Sunday after suffering an apparent injury to his right knee, creating an immediate concern around one of the most accomplished players in Broncos history.
Jeanty was helped from the practice field and was unable to put pressure on his leg, according to multiple reports from Raiders practice on August 23. ESPN described the injury as an apparent right knee injury, while Raiders reporter Vincent Bonsignore reported that Jeanty could not put weight on the leg as he left the field.
No diagnosis or timetable for Jeanty’s return had been announced as of Sunday afternoon, making it important not to draw conclusions from the scene alone.
The timing nevertheless makes the injury particularly significant. Las Vegas has one preseason game remaining, against the San Francisco 49ers on August 27, before opening the regular season against the Miami Dolphins on September 13.
Ashton Jeanty Was Preparing for a Year 2 Jump With Raiders
For Boise State fans who followed Jeanty into the NFL, his second season had been shaping up as an opportunity to look much more like the dominant runner who became a national star in Boise.
Jeanty started all 17 games as a rookie in 2025 and rushed 266 times for 975 yards and five touchdowns. He also caught 55 passes for 346 yards and five more scores, giving him 1,321 yards from scrimmage and 10 total touchdowns.
Those numbers came despite conditions that frequently made running difficult.
NFL.com reported that Jeanty had only 112 rushing yards before contact, the second-fewest among backs with at least 200 carries. According to Next Gen Stats cited by NFL.com, 88.5% of his rushing yardage came after contact, while his 71 forced missed tackles tied for fourth-most in the league.
That context helped create optimism surrounding Year 2. Jeanty himself said during training camp that he believed he needed to make a “big jump,” while Las Vegas rebuilt portions of its offensive line and installed Klint Kubiak’s offense.
Sunday’s injury now puts that anticipated progression on hold until the Raiders know more about his knee.
Boise State Fans Know How Rare Jeanty’s Run Was
Jeanty’s NFL career carries unusual interest in Boise because his final college season produced numbers rarely seen anywhere in college football.
He rushed for 2,601 yards in 2024, finishing just 27 yards behind Barry Sanders’ FBS single-season record of 2,628. Jeanty scored 29 rushing touchdowns and set an FBS record with 14 games of at least 100 rushing yards.
His season helped Boise State finish 12-2, win the Mountain West championship and earn the No. 3 seed in the College Football Playoff.
Jeanty ultimately finished second in the Heisman Trophy voting and left Boise State as the school’s career leader in rushing yards with 4,769, along with program records for yards per carry, rushing yards per game, 100-yard games and 200-yard games.
The Raiders selected him sixth overall in the 2025 NFL Draft, making his transition from the blue turf to the NFL one of the most closely watched pro careers for Broncos fans in years.
Now the immediate concern is simpler.
Until Las Vegas announces the extent of the knee injury, Jeanty’s availability for the September 13 opener — and potentially beyond — remains uncertain. For Boise State fans who watched him absorb contact and keep running throughout one of the great seasons in college football history, Sunday produced the kind of update nobody wanted to see.
Former Boise State Star Ashton Jeanty Suffers Knee Injury with Las Vegas Raiders