The Las Vegas Raiders are likely to limp into the finish line of the 2025 NFL season when they host the Kansas City Chiefs at Allegiant Stadium on Sunday. Neither team has much to play for other than pride, and both fan bases will surely be eyeing the draft board to see where they ultimately land.
Rookie running back Ashton Jeanty, however, will have something to play for. After being selected No. 6 overall last April to fix the Raiders' league-worst rushing attack in 2024, Las Vegas still finds itself at the bottom of the NFL's rushing measures once again. Somehow, they've gotten even worse.
But it hasn't exactly been Jeanty's fault, as the Raiders' offensive line has been historically bad throughout the campaign. Despite all of that, the Boise State product has a bit of franchise history on the line when he takes the field for the final time in his rookie campaign against the Chiefs.
Ashton Jeanty can break Josh Jacobs' Raiders rookie all-purpose yards record
A 73-yard performance in Week 17 against the New York Giants helped Jeanty to surpass Brock Bowers on the Raiders' all-time rookie scrimmage yards leaderboard. Now second on the list, Jeanty has one week to catch Josh Jacobs' 1,316-yard mark from 2019.
Collecting 89 total yards, whether they be on the ground or through the air, would give Jeanty a share of this record. 90 yards would beat it. Despite having such a disappointing rookie year, earning this honor would be a massive morale boost for Jeanty heading into the 2026 season.
Jacobs did achieve his yardage total in just 13 games, which is quite impressive, as Jeanty will play in all 17 contests for the Silver and Black this year. But there should be no asterisks on a record like this, as availability is also critical in the NFL.
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It will take an above-average performance from Jeanty to eclipse Jacobs, as he is averaging just 76.7 all-purpose yards per game in 2025. Jeanty churning out just 34 total yards against the Chiefs in Week 7 isn't exactly promising either, but much has changed since then for both squads.
Raider Nation has been hesitant to root for the team's success down the stretch of the season, as they have honed in on not messing up their position in April's draft. But Las Vegas can cinch up the No. 1 pick before kickoff, which would give the fan base a chance to cheer hard for the team again.
They'll also be rooting for Jeanty to earn this achievement, as he has been through the wringer as a rookie. Jeanty deserves this distinction because he never points fingers, and he always takes the blame and keeps his head down to work. Let's hope he does that again on Sunday.