Klint Kubiak indicates the Raiders are counting on Ashton Jeanty for Week 1

The Las Vegas Raiders are turning the page from their preseason opener to the start of the regular season, and one question is already shaping the week’s practice and game planning. In a Friday videoconference with reporters, head coach Klint Kubiak said the team is counting on running back Ashton Jeanty for Week 1, even as Jeanty’s availability remains tied to the recovery from an ankle sprain suffered during last weekend’s action.

Preseason is where teams try to sort out roles, timing, and depth, but it is rarely where the most important health questions get fully answered. According to the report, Jeanty’s injury occurred last weekend and the Raiders have not publicly detailed how severe the sprain is or what timetable the medical staff is working under. That uncertainty elevates the stakes of the early-season preparation, because the coaching staff cannot simply plug in a replacement without also adjusting the offensive rhythm built around its top back.

Kubiak’s comments framed the situation as part expectation, part continuity. He stayed “the course” on how the team is handling the information, while still making clear that the plan includes Jeanty being in the backfield for the opener. Jeanty is identified in the report as the Raiders’ 2025 first-round pick, a detail that underscores why his status matters beyond one position group. When a team invests at that level in a running back, the offense is often designed with his usage, protections, and run-pass reads in mind from the first week forward.

From the Raiders’ perspective, counting on Jeanty for Week 1 is also about decision-making elsewhere. If the staff expects their centerpiece to be available, they can build the first game plan around his likely workload and his role in both the run game and the passing game out of the backfield. If the staff instead has to scale back, that affects everything from protections and play-call cadence to the workload and opportunity for the next running back. With preseason concluded on Thursday night, there is less room for the offense to hide uncertainty inside game-week repetition.

The NFL regular season also has a way of forcing teams to reveal how they view a player’s readiness. Early-week practice reps, how often a player is limited, and whether he is used in high-leverage situations tend to become telltales, even when teams avoid posting precise medical timelines. In this case, the Raiders’ public posture appears cautious, with limited public detail about the ankle, while the coaching message is that Jeanty is expected to factor into the Week 1 lineup.

What to watch next is straightforward: whether Jeanty can increase his participation leading into the opener, and how much the Raiders’ offensive preparation looks like it is designed for a starting-caliber workload. If the staff maintains the “counting on him” approach through the week, the Week 1 backfield is likely to revolve around Jeanty’s ability to create carries and touches. If the plan changes, the Raiders will need to show quickly whether their alternatives can preserve the same offensive structure that a first-round-caliber back is supposed to provide.