A common sentiment regarding Ashton Jeanty this offseason was that he was primed to have a breakout season. All the signs were there. Having shown flashes as a rookie now going into his second season behind an offensive line that is expected to be much improved.
Those expectations looked on shaky ground when he went down in training camp with an ankle injury. But as of now, he's feeling no pain, putting up 102 yards on the ground, with 147 yards from scrimmage with two touchdowns.
“Coming off his injury, I'd say, it's kind of on par from what we've come to expect from him," said head coach Klint Kubiak. "He's been a leader throughout. And what he did tonight is what we expect from him, but doing it with a bad ankle, with a little bit less practice
than he's used to, I think just tells you the kind of guy you're dealing with.”
There's a long way to go yet, but Jeanty got that expected breakout season started the right way.
As impressive as he was running the ball, his receiving may have been even more impressive. Both of his touchdowns came through the air, one on a pass over the middle, the other he leapt up and snagged and then finished it off to drive into the end zone.
The Silver Surfer strikes 🏄 #MIAvsLV | 📺 FOX pic.twitter.com/r6zOb9zZWG
— Las Vegas Raiders (@Raiders) September 13, 2026
That's TWO TDs for No. 2️⃣
— NFL (@NFL) September 13, 2026
MIAvsLV on FOX/FOX One
Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/rV1sGa6xWZ
The back known for his tackle breaking abilities and aggressive run finishing, would catch six passes in the game, which tied with tight end Michael Mayer for the team lead.
“Well, first off, he's got great hands," Mayer said of Jeanty. "I mean you see some backs out there that don't have the great hands, and he's got the great hands. And I think the other thing is just the detail to the routes. He knows where to be. He knows the spots he needs to be and he catches it and he knows where the defenders are going to be once he catches it. He's a great player.”
It doesnt matter how he gets the yards or the scores, but to be able to do what he can do on the ground AND through the air makes him an even more valuable piece to this offense. Looking like he will prove a lot of projections correct with regard to how he will perform in his second season.
This article originally appeared on Raiders Wire: Ashton Jeanty monster performance helps Raiders burst out gates Week 1
