The Las Vegas Raiders got some good and bad news ahead of Week 1. Unfortunately, star tight end Brock Bowers isn’t going to play against the Miami Dolphins and could be out even longer.
The good news is that running back Ashton Jeanty is back at practice and appears set to play in Week 1. This comes after he suffered an ankle injury in training camp. The concern over the injury was real. The entire team took a knee and prayed for the running back after he had to be helped off the field in practice.
It ended up just being an ankle sprain, which can be serious, but his appears to be mild. All signs point to Jeanty being ready to play. He hasn’t spoken to the media since his injury, but he finally got to offer up some comments.
He said that he was never truly concerned he was going to miss time.
“I feel really good,” Jeanty told reporters. “Super excited to go out there and play a good game with this team.”
It would appear that, barring some kind of setback, Jeanty will be suiting up in Week 1 and may not even have a limited workload.
Jeanty Just Became Even More Important
New Raiders head coach Klint Kubiak wants to run the ball early and often. Now that Bowers is out, he may want to run the ball even more.
Luckily, the Raiders might have an elite running back duo emerging. Jeanty had a disappointing rookie season, but he’s one of the top running backs to come out of college in years. Washington had an excellent preseason. His combination of size and speed makes him a great running mate for Jeanty.
The Raiders don’t have a lot of receiver talent, especially with Bowers out. This is going to be a run-first offense right now. The Raiders may have the right running back duo to make that a problem for defenses. Having Bowers really would’ve helped open up the run game, but the team just needs to adapt.
Washington Has Made Case for Bigger Role
If Jeanty isn’t 100%, the Raiders should be careful with him. Sometimes ankle sprains that aren’t fully recovered can lead to much worse injuries.
Washington has already proven that he can make plays with the ball in his hands. The hope is that he can form a formidable one-two punch with Jeanty, but the Raiders could lean on him a bit more heavily than they previously expected to open the season.
The Athletic’s Sam Warren believes that Washington has already made the that he deserves a bigger role in the offense, especially with Jeanty banged up.
“An outstanding preseason has caused the rhetoric around his role to shift,” Warren wrote. “Washington clearly will provide value as a complement to Jeanty as a runner, and his big-play ability is something this offense needs. Jeanty’s injury could give Washington a bigger role early on, and how he receives and pass protects will determine his snap share when the lead back is fully healthy.”
Raiders RB Ashton Jeanty Breaks Silence on Injury Concerns