It has been tough sledding for Las Vegas Raiders running back Ashton Jeanty this season and many believe it’s at least partly because he isn’t 100%.
Jeanty has been dealing with an ankle issue pretty much all season, and then he picked up a foot issue before the Week 5 contest.
He has not missed a game, but Jeanty has just 291 rushing yards and he’s averaging just 3.3 yards per carry. Lackluster blocking upfront has no doubt played a part in that.
When it comes to his injury issues, Jeanty is starting to “feel a lot better,” head coach Klint Kubiak said on Wednesday, according to ESPN’s Ryan McFadden.
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Kubiak also left no doubt about Jeanty’s status for the upcoming game against the Buffalo Bills.
“He’s playing,” Kubiak said.
The idea that the Raiders could sit Jeanty came from ESPN’s Dan Graziano, who wrote that the team is considering sitting the second-year running back behind the scenes.
“Raiders have internally discussed giving Jeanty a week off to heal at some point. He does not want to take a week off and has pushed to play through the injuries,” Graziano reported.
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So, there we have it from the head coach himself. Jeanty is playing in Week 6, and he’s getting healthier, too.
Asthon Jeanty’s injury issues
Jeanty initially hurt his ankle before the start of the season, but he seemed to re-aggravate it in Week 3, which landed him back on the injury report.
The former No. 6 overall pick was on the injury report with the ankle issue once again in Week 5, but a foot injury he picked up in practice added to the existing concern.
On Sunday, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported that Jeanty is dealing with plantar fasciitis, which can be a real problem.
Jeanty is averaging 22 touches per game, which is a ton in this day and age when most teams deploy a rotation at the position.
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Perhaps the Raiders would be wise to lessen that load a bit.
They seemingly have a solid backup behind Jeanty in Mike Washington, although you would not have known that last week, when the rookie had just two touches in the loss to the New England Patriots, which was even more glaring when you consider Dylan Laube had seven, including three more carries.
Putting all that aside for now, the Raiders will be hoping that a healthier Jeanty will improve because the Raiders’ offense desperately needs this rushing attack to get on track.
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