The Las Vegas Raiders will have a two-headed rushing attack this 2026 NFL season with Ashton Jeanty and Mike Washington Jr. Moreover, the Silver and Black have head coach Klint Kubiak, who has experience getting the most out of a two-back tandem.
Last season with the Seattle Seahawks, Kubiak had Kenneth Walker III and Zach Charbonnet and got the most out of that duo. As a team, the Seahawks had 598 rushing attempts, with the majority coming from Walker and Charbonnet.
Walker had 286 rushing attempts while Charbonnet had 189, so it’s a preview of what the Raiders can expect with their two running backs. The Seahawks compiled over 2,400 rushing yards, so Kubiak will be leaning on the ground game.
Now, the Raiders’ head coach will look to do the same with Jeanty and Washington. Ahead of the Week 1 game against the Miami Dolphins, former Raiders running back Raheem Mostert shared his excitement about watching the rookie play this season.
“What he’s doing right now with the Raiders, I’m super excited to see that as well because he’s gonna be one of those under-the-radar type of running backs and I’m just gonna let y’all know, watch out for that guy,” Mostert said during a Sept. 7 appearance on “Good Morning Football.”
Why Raheem Mostert Is High on Raiders’ Mike Washington Jr.
Last season, while playing for the Arkansas Razorbacks, Washington played 571 total snaps, earning a 78.3 overall PFF grade. Moreover, the 23-year-old carried the ball 167 times for 1,066 rushing yards and eight touchdowns.
He also averaged 6.4 yards per attempt and forced 34 missed tackles as a runner. Meanwhile, in the passing game, Washington caught 28 passes on 36 targets for 226 receiving yards and one touchdown.
Moreover, Mostert shared why he has high hopes for Washington having success this season.
“I actually watched him his last year when he was at Arkansas, and I could tell you, man, he was just ecstatic to watch. I know their running backs coach over there, and I called him one time on FaceTime and [the running backs coach] gave [Washington] a nice, deliberate message.
“Like, you keep your poise and make sure that you do everything you can because that next level is going to be even more demanding for you guys. One thing that I noticed was him taking notes, sitting down, just doing exactly what he needed to do to take every little tidbit that he possibly can to be the better version of himself.”
Mike Washington Jr. Gets Compelling Comparison
Recently, Raiders fullback Connor Heyward was asked whether Washington reminds him of former Pittsburgh Steelers running back Le’Veon Bell, and he didn’t deny the similarities.
“I see [the Bell comparison] in his game,” Heyward told reporters on Aug. 16. “I also see Mike Washington, a bigger back with speed. I don’t think Le’Veon was running 4.3. That’s nothing against Le’Veon, but Le’Veon was more 4.5, 4.6-ish, kind of hesitated, but Mike can hit it, too. He has that in his game.”
It will be interesting to see if Washington can be a major factor for the Raiders this season, but the hopes are high with him.
Raiders’ Mike Washington Jr. Gets Strong Words Before Dolphins Game