Ashton Jeanty left Las Vegas Raiders practice after an awkward landing that left him unable to put weight on his right leg, ESPN reporter Ryan McFadden and The Athletic reported.
Team trainers helped Jeanty off the field following a dive for a low pass from quarterback Kirk Cousins, The Athletic said. Multiple accounts said the team paused and held a brief moment of prayer on the field.
NFL insiders Ian Rapoport and Adam Schefter later reported the injury is believed to be a sprained ankle and not thought to be long term, though no official timetable for a return has been issued.
The Raiders provided no immediate statement about the injury, and The Athletic quoted a league source saying the club is uncertain how long Jeanty will be sidelined.
Jeanty had been used sparingly in preseason action, receiving three carries in the opener and none in the second game, according to reporting. Trainers and coaches watched the play closely before helping him to the sideline.
Impact And Outlook
Jeanty enters the season as the Raiders top listed running back on the team's unofficial depth chart, followed by Mike Washington Jr., Dylan Laube, Roman Hemby and Dare Ogunbowale, the reports said. The club also keeps two fullbacks, Connor Heyward and Patrick Gurd, on the roster.
Washington, a fourth-round pick from Arkansas, has shown explosiveness in preseason work. He posted 15 carries for 119 yards and added two catches for 18 yards, per reporting, including long runs of 53 and 33 yards noted by The Athletic.
The Athletic quoted head coach Klint Kubiak praising Washington's temperament and potential, saying the rookie is talented, humble and hardworking. Fantasy outlets have already adjusted rankings, with FantasyPros placing Jeanty at RB19 after the injury and Washington at RB35, per the earlier report.
As a rookie Jeanty logged heavy usage, finishing with 266 carries for 975 rushing yards and five rushing touchdowns, plus 55 catches for 346 receiving yards and five receiving touchdowns, the report said. His 3.7 yards per carry and low yards before contact were highlighted as efficiency concerns.
Contract data reported by Spotrac.com shows Jeanty is in the second year of a four-year rookie deal with a total value of about $35.9 million and a cap hit near $8.2 million for the coming season. The team also retains a fifth-year option for the pick, the report added.
For now the Raiders and Jeanty await further evaluation to determine recovery time. Initial accounts that suggested a catastrophic injury have since been tempered by league insiders describing the problem as a sprain rather than a longer term issue.
