The Las Vegas Raiders headed into the 2026 NFL season with high hopes for a high-powered offense, with Klint Kubiak taking over as head coach after a successful stint as the offensive coordinator for the Seattle Seahawks.
One player who was especially excited about the regime change was second-year running back Ashton Jeanty, as he believed Kubiak would unlock his game.
Unfortunately for Jeanty, the run game hasn’t been able to get going since the season-opening win against the Miami Dolphins, with the rising star making more of an impact as a receiver.
Jets DC Aware of Ashton Jeanty’s Controversial Comments
Ahead of the Week 8 matchup against the New York Jets, Jeanty may have slipped up a bit, making some questionable comments about the defense he is about to face on Sunday at MetLife Stadium.
Jeanty believes the Raiders can get their run game going against the Jets, and then went on to take a subtle shot at players he wouldn’t name that “don’t really want to tackle,” which obviously has stirred the pot.
“I think we can definitely get the run game going, get back on track and just really get after these guys,” Jeanty said. “Couple guys out there that don’t really want to tackle, but I’m not gonna say names.”
Of course, Jeanty’s controversial comments were going to get a response, with the media asking Jets defensive coordinator Brian Duker what he thought of what the Raiders star said.
“I did see those comments,” Duker said. “I’ve got plenty of confidence in our guys.”
Duker was also asked if he thinks his players have taken notice of what Jeanty said this week.
“I’m sure they’re aware,” Ducker said of his players. “They know what’s going on.”
Things are almost certainly going to get heated on Sunday in New York, as the Jets’ players on defense now have some extra motivation to end their two-game skid and hand Las Vegas what would be its fifth loss of the season.
Jets Players React to Ashton Jeanty’s Comments
Along with Duker being asked about Jeanty’s comments, veteran safety Minkah Fitzpatrick shared how he felt about what was said.
“Whenever our name is brought up, whether it be an opponent or a past opponent, it catches our eye,” Fitzpatrick said, via SNY. “The way that I operate, I go out there and play 110 percent effort. No matter who I’m playing against, no matter what they said. Obviously certain things can add a little more fuel to the fire, but at the end of the day I got to go out there and do my job. I think most guys in this locker room operate in the same fashion.”
Fitzpatrick wasn’t the only player to chime in, as veteran linebacker Demario Davis also shared his thoughts on Jeanty’s comments.
“It’s called bulletin-board material,” Davis said. “Nothing other than that. I’m big on, the game is played inside the white lines. Simple as that.”
It’ll be interesting to see how things pan out in this game, with Jeanty desperately needing a big game on the ground and both teams looking to end their losing streaks.
Raiders’ Ashton Jeanty Creates ‘Bulletin-Board Material’ as Jets Respond