Klint Kubiak has been no help when it comes to figuring out just how bad Las Vegas Raiders running back Ashton Jeanty's injury truly is. Various reports have downplayed the severity, but so many questions still remained about Jeanty's status ahead of roster cutdowns on Sunday.
Because getting info out of Kubiak is like pulling teeth, Raider Nation is forced to decode the team's decisions and come to their own conclusions. Las Vegas only keeping three running backs on the 53-man roster and not putting him on IR, then, was undeniably a positive sign for Jeanty's injury timeline.
However, he's not out of the woods yet, and it would have been careless for the front office to not have a fallback plan if Jeanty can't go in Week 1 against the Miami Dolphins. Luckily, they built one into the practice squad by bringing back Dare Ogunbowale and Roman Hemby.
Raiders kept two extra RBs on practice squad if Ashton Jeanty can't go
Jeanty is not on the injured reserve, so he can play as soon as the opening weekend of the 2026 NFL season. Based on how hard he seemingly went down and how tepid the mood was after his injury, though, it feels like a stretch to say that he'll definitely be available for the first few games.
He could be, but I don't have enough information to make that promise to you.
With Ogunbowale and Hemby on the practice squad, though, the Raiders have given themselves quite a contingency plan. Las Vegas is allowed to promote players to the active roster for game day, and it stands to reason that they'll do so with a running back in the early going to provide a cushion.
If Jeanty plays, the team should have an extra running back in pads ready to go if his snaps are limited or if he re-aggravates his injury. If Jeanty is inactive, then by pure numbers alone, the Raiders will need an extra body. Having two capable ones on the practice squad makes for an easy fix.
Mike Washington Jr. is next in line to take carries after Jeanty, but the team may want Ogunbowale or Hemby to eat up carries behind Washington Jr. sooner than they want Dylan Laube to do so. Laube has a role as a third-down back and core special-teamer, and they can keep him there with this setup.
Simply put, having two running backs around who know the system and can play special teams or a role on offense in a pinch is great roster building by Spytek, and it eases any tension there may have been about Jeanty rushing back. The Raiders have a backup plan in place.
Ashton Jeanty reportedly working on the side at Raiders practice
It seems like Jeanty is already moving in the right direction, too. According to The Athletic's Sam Warren, Jeanty was working on a side field during Tuesday's practice. This is the first time that he has been seen on the field since suffering his ankle injury last Sunday.
Now, this doesn't exactly put a timetable on when Jeanty could return, but it is certainly progress for him and the team. To already be doing workouts just over a week later is undoubtedly a good thing, and hopefully, a harbinger of more good news to come.
To put things in perspective, Dont'e Thornton Jr. also worked out on a side field during Tuesday's practice, via Warren, and he's on the injured reserve. In fact, Thornton Jr. has been doing work like this for some time now and still isn't back, so Jeanty's return isn't necessarily imminent because of this.
But nobody is going to be upset with the news that he's on the practice field. Let's just cling to some hope with this report, at least, and feel even better about the fact that the Raiders have a contingency plan or two on the practice squad if Jeanty isn't ready to lace up his cleats against Miami.
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