When the Las Vegas Raiders added former Arkansas running back Mike Washington Jr. to the roster in the fourth round of the 2026 NFL draft, the expectation wasn’t that Washington would supplant 2025 first-round pick Ashton Jeanty as the Raiders’ lead back. Instead, the thought was that the two running backs would split the workload to take some of the pressure off of Jeanty’s shoulders.
However, it sounds like that isn’t the ideal situation for new head coach and offensive play caller Klint Kubiak.
“We want to put a lot of pressure on Ashton,” Kubiak said during his post-practice media session on Wednesday, May 20. “The next guy that steps up, whoever that may be, that’s going to be seen here in practice, OTAs and training camp. But we think we should continue to challenge Ashton and get more out of him.”
That’s a different tune than what the coach was saying ahead of the draft, as he mentioned the importance of having a “two-man show” at running back and finding Jeanty a “wingman” during the NFL owners’ meetings at the end of February.
“I’ve said it before, I think it’s important to have a quality second back, but the best player has got to play, and we got to get them on the field as much as we can,” Kubiak clarified during OTAs. “I don’t know the play snap percentage, but you look at Christian McCaffrey, his play snap percentage is high. So, those great backs, they don’t want to come off the field.”
According to Pro Football Reference, McCaffery was on the field for 932 snaps and 83 percent of the San Francisco 49ers’ offensive plays in 17 games last season. He played only four games in 2024, missing time due to injuries, but he posted similar numbers in 2023: 812 snaps and 81 percent over 16 games. Comparatively, Jeanty recorded 771 snaps and 78 percent in 17 contests for the Raiders last year.
So, from a reps perspective, the Boise State product wasn’t that far off from the three-time All-Pro last fall. However, their workloads were significantly different, as McCaffery led the NFL with 413 touches from scrimmage, while Jeanty had nearly 100 fewer at 321 touches.
What accounts for the big difference? The passing game.
Technically, the difference between the two running backs’ receptions and carries was about the same, with McCaffery recording 47 more catches and 45 more rushing attempts than Jeanty. But when the primary function of the position is considered, roughly 2.75 more receptions per game is a more significant change to how a running back is used than 2.75 rushing attempts, since catching the ball is considered a secondary responsibility.
That’s one way Kubiak can get Jeanty up to McCaffery’s workload. Granted, the latter led all running backs in receptions and by a wide margin last season (23, per Pro Football Focus), and the former did rank seventh at the position with 55 catches.
Even so, it took a while for last year’s coaching staff to get Jeanty involved in the passing game, as 40 of his 55 receptions (72.7 percent) and 260 of his 346 receiving yards (75.1 percent) came in Week 9 or later. The No. 6 overall pick did prove to be an effective pass-catcher, though, ranking tied for fifth among running backs with 23 missed tackles forced as a receiver and tying for third with five receiving touchdowns, per PFF. He also finished sixth in yards after the catch (461) when factoring in screens or passes caught behind the line of scrimmage.
So, maybe that’s what Kubiak is alluding to when talking about keeping the pressure on or increasing Jeanty’s workload. Regardless, the running back reiterates what his coach said about the “great backs” and seems excited about the opportunity.
“I look forward to it a lot,” Jeanty replied when asked about having a high snap percentage. “I mean, obviously, I want to help the team win as much as I can, and if I don’t have to, I don’t want to come off the field.”
On top of that, Jeanty has been studying how McCaffery operates in Kyle Shanahan’s offense, which is closely tied to Kubiak’s system, and how Kenneth Walker operated with the Seattle Seahawks last season.
“I’ve been watching them a lot,” the Raiders running back said. “I’ve been watching Christian since college, watched Kenneth Walker III in college, too. So, watching their NFL tape [while] running the same scheme they’re running is super exciting to be able to watch them, and then apply my game to it.”
Jeanty followed up and clarified what his takeaways from those two have been so far: “In the run game, just being explosive off the ball, running great tracks, great footwork. And then in the pass game, being an asset running great routes, and then protection of course, protecting the quarterback.”
From the sounds of it, we might be seeing a lot more of Jeanty and less of Washington this season than originally thought after the draft. And it wouldn’t be surprising to see the difference come down to the passing game.
