Ashton Jeanty has been dealing with a sprained ankle since August 23rd, and as of last week, the Raiders’ star running back is also contending with a foot injury.
It isn’t clear which injury has been hampering him more, but Jeanty was a gametime decision to play in week five before a 9-minute pregame workout determined he would be in the lineup against the Patriots.
Through the first five games of the season, Jeanty is averaging just 3.3 yards per carry (down from 3.7 YPC a year ago) and hasn’t shown the same burst he did at Boise State or even last year with the Raiders.
There were rumors the Raiders might give Jeanty a week to rest, but head coach Klint Kubiak squashed that storyline early in the week. Jeanty was a full participant in practice all week and wasn’t listed on the final injury report.
Every indication from the Raiders’ building is that Jeanty is as healthy as he has been all season, but the proof will come on Sunday.
If Jeanty continues to have trouble making defenders miss and lacks his trademark explosive abilities on Sunday, it will be concerning.
At this point, there are essentially two explanations for Jeanty’s lack of burst. Either he isn’t at full strength in terms of his health, or he isn’t translating to the NFL the way the Raiders were hoping when they drafted him with the sixth-overall pick.
Should the Raiders protect Jeanty from himself?
Lincoln Kennedy has been paying close attention to Jeanty’s health for a few weeks, and he believes the time is coming (or might already be here) to save Jeanty from himself.
“It’s almost like being a parent to your child when you have to step in and do what’s right for your child. When you have to sit there and say, ‘You know what? You have to shut it down. You can’t go,'” Kennedy said on the Locked on Raiders Squad Show.
“It’s one of those instances that I think that’s coming along the line where a parent has to step in and say, ‘You know what? You’re just not shutting down for this week. Let’s get you to the next week.’ I think that’s what we’re facing in all honesty. Look, for Kubiak, it’s a matter of how do you manage your team versus what’s right for your kid.”
Kennedy’s co-host, Q Myers, said he believes we will learn a lot about Jeanty’s health this week.
“I think this week is going to tell us a lot when it comes to Ashton Jeanty,” Myers said.
“Kubiak did say that Ashton Jeanty is feeling the best he has in the locker room yesterday, so we’ll see. He’s a guy that doesn’t never want to come off the field. So he’s never going to come out and say, ‘Yeah, I don’t feel good.'”
If there was ever a time for Jeanty to make his mark, the Raiders could desperately use a win against the Bills on Sunday.
After consecutive losses, the Raiders have fallen to 3-2 on the season while the Chiefs (4-0) and Broncos (4-2) look to be legitimate contenders to win the AFC this year.
x: @raidersbeat
