The Las Vegas Raiders got the exact injury news they did not want as roster cuts approach.
Star rookie running back Ashton Jeanty suffered what is believed to be a sprained ankle during Sunday’s practice, according to multiple reports. The team has not yet released a timetable for his return, but the initial word is that it is not considered season-threatening.
Every part of that qualifier matters. Sprained ankles range wildly in severity, from tape-it-and-play to eight-week absences depending on the ligaments involved. Jeanty needs an MRI to confirm what the Raiders training staff already suspects. Until then, everyone in Silver and Black is holding their breath.
Jeanty is the reason the Raiders offense has any real optimism this season. Las Vegas drafted him early in the 2026 draft after his Heisman-caliber senior year at Boise State, where he ran for over 2,600 yards and was the most electric player in college football. He was expected to be an immediate feature back in Chip Kelly’s new-look offense and the centerpiece for a franchise trying to reset around Geno Smith and its young roster.
Missing time in August is not catastrophic. Missing Week 1 would be a punch in the gut. Missing extended regular-season time would essentially wreck the Raiders’ offensive ceiling before it ever got established.
Chip Kelly’s offense, in particular, is designed to lean heavily on a productive running back. The tempo, the option elements, the perimeter runs and screens, all of it revolves around a back who can generate yards on his own. Jeanty was custom-built to be that guy. Without him, the Raiders have Zamir White and depth options like Sincere McCormick.
Zamir White has flashed. He has never proven he can be the primary running back on a competitive offense over a full season. That is exactly what the Raiders would need if Jeanty misses significant time.
There is a real business layer here too. The Raiders have been trying to sell hope to their fan base for two years. Jeanty’s presence in training camp has been the loudest positive story of the summer. Fans lined up for his jersey. Season ticket sales got a real boost. The excitement was built around his arrival.
The team cannot afford for that momentum to stall in August.
The good news is that ankle injuries in preseason often heal quickly. Jeanty has time to rest, rehab, and get right before the September 8 opener. If the sprain is a low-grade ankle sprain, he could be back to full practice within a week and cleared for Week 1.
If it turns out to be a high ankle sprain, though, the timeline extends dramatically, and the Raiders would have to make some hard decisions about whether to bring him back too fast or let him miss the first few weeks entirely.
For now, the message from Las Vegas is cautious optimism. That should be everyone else’s message too, at least until the MRI results come back.
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.
