RB Ashton Jeanty could return 'quicker than some people would expect,' Raiders GM John Spytek says

Posted by Admin September 1, 2026 NFL

Las Vegas Raiders general manager John Spytek told reporters on Tuesday that he expects running back Ashton Jeanty to “be back as quick as he can” and “maybe quicker than some people would expect.”

“When that is, we’ll see,” Spytek continued.

But the second-year Raiders GM, who selected the former Boise State star with the sixth overall pick in 2025, is confident in Jeanty’s mindset, despite the ankle injury he’s currently working his way back from ahead of the 2026 campaign.

“I think he’s in a good spot,” Spytek said, when asked where Jeanty’s at mentally. “And I think he’ll be ready to go when we get him back out there.”

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Last week, Raiders first-year head coach Klint Kubiak described Jeanty’s status as “on the mend.” The 22-year-old back and 2024 Heisman Trophy runner-up is believed to have sprained his ankle during an Aug. 23 practice, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter and NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

Jeanty landed awkwardly on the indoor practice facility’s turf grass while diving for a low pass thrown by quarterback Kirk Cousins and had to be helped off the field, per ESPN’s Ryan McFadden. The bell-cow back reportedly couldn’t put pressure on his right leg at the time, and his teammates and coaches took a knee and said a prayer after he exited.

“We see him every day,” Spytek said of Jeanty on Tuesday.

“He’s working really hard. He’s on the mend, as Klint said. I think that’s one of the things that we all like and respect about Ashton is just the maturity that he has and the spirit that he has that it’s hard to knock him down.”

Jeanty is coming off an up-and-down rookie season. On one hand, he rushed for nearly 1,000 yards and totaled 10 touchdowns. On the other hand, he ran behind a struggling offensive line in an offense that was troubled throughout a 3-14 season.

With Jeanty sidelined, rookie running back Mike Washington Jr., a fourth-round pick from Arkansas, is in the spotlight. Washington excelled during the preseason.

“I’ll give Coach Kubiak a lot of credit for this one,” Spytek said of Washington on Tuesday. “He stood on a table for that kid at the start of Day 3, and this is the perfect scheme fit. We can make this player into a good player. He has what we’re looking for.”

Spytek continued: “It’s hard for any rookie to really carve out meaningful minutes and be as productive as you want them to be. And Mike certainly had a great preseason. Nobody’s taking that away from him. But it gets very real very fast here now. But I think we’re all excited about the track that Mike is on, and I think we have an expectation that he’s going to help us win football games this year.”