The Las Vegas Raiders are opening up their preseason slate on Thursday night with a game against the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field, which means we might see the debut of rookie running back Ashton Jeanty.
We say “might” because it hasn’t been clearly confirmed that the No. 6 overall pick in the 2025 NFL draft will play.
Head coach Pete Carroll’s comment earlier this week made it sound like the starters would play, but a Seahawks beat writer who covered Carroll in Seattle for several years warned not to take Carroll’s comment at face value.
Here’s what Carroll and the Seahawks beat writer said.
Is Ashton Jeanty playing tonight?
UPDATE: Jeanty is confirmed to be playing tonight. The Raiders rookie tallied one carry for three yards on his first drive.
UPDATE: Jesse Merrick of the Silver & Black Sports Network believes we’ll see “the starters for a few drives tonight.”
What Pete Carroll said: “Everybody’s live, everybody’s ready to go.”
What Seahawks.com’s John Boyle said: “As a 14-year veteran of Pete Carroll press conference, I’m quite confident noting that Pete saying ‘everybody’s live, everybody’s ready to go’ is far from a declaration that starters are playing Thursday.”
So, as you can see, it’s pretty much up in the air. We should have a better idea closer to kickoff.
Is Ashton Jeanty a starter?
According to the Raiders’ first unofficial depth chart, Jeanty was indeed listed as the team’s starter at running back, which was expected considering his draft positioning.
But the Raiders weren’t just going to hand it to him, so he had to earn it — and he’s doing exactly that, based on reports.
How has Ashton Jeanty looked in training camp?
By all accounts, Jeanty has looked phenomenal this offseason, and has even shined as a pass-catcher and in pass protection, two things that will help him see more playing time in his rookie campaign.
“Ashton Jeanty has come as advertised. All the obvious stuff to all the coaches and scouts who evaluated him is the contact balance and the ability to hide behind his linemen as a shorter, more compact player. And get past defenders before they could even see him. He can take a 10-yard run and turn it into a 50-yard run,” Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated wrote. “All that stuff is there. “
“What’s been a little surprising to coaches is how quickly he’s adjusted in the passing game,” he added. “Pass pro can prevent young players at that position from getting on the field early in their careers. And it’s something that Ashton Jeanty, as a college player, like a lot of great backs, didn’t do a ton of in college, but he’s taken to it right away.”
How to watch Raiders vs. Seahawks
When: Thursday, Aug. 7 at 7 p.m. PT
Watch: FOX5 Las Vegas (local) | NFL Network (national)
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