Fans were excited to see the Las Vegas Raiders and all of their new pieces in action ahead of Thursday's preseason game against the Seattle Seahawks. No player entered the game with more hype and intrigue than running back Ashton Jeanty, the No. 6 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Unfortunately, he was unable to have much success against the Seahawks' defense, as he ran for -1 yards on three carries. Important context to consider, however, is that he had one rush for three yards with the starting offensive line, and two carries for -4 yards with the backups in.
Still, it was an underwhelming debut for the prized rookie, but that is okay. Offensive coordinator Chip Kelly was not showing his best running concepts yet, and behind a full group of starters, he should be able to have plenty more success.
Seahawks take unnecessary shot at Raiders rookie RB Ashton Jeanty
For the Seahawks, second-year running back George Holani looked impressive for the offense. The former Boise State Bronco played behind Jeanty in his final collegiate season before going undrafted and joining Seattle in 2024.
Holani had a strong performance on Thursday, running seven times for 61 yards and a touchdown. His jaunt to the endzone certainly turned some heads, and he also caught a pass for 20 yards. But the Seahawks' social media team took an unnecessary jab at Jeanty after Holani's big game.
Some people are saying @GeorgeHolani is the best RB out of Boise State.
— Seattle Seahawks (@Seahawks) August 8, 2025
While this is just Seattle's social media team having a bit of fun at Jeanty's expense, Raider Nation is not likely to find this too funny. Perhaps the only funny part is that the Seahawks are taking a victory lap during a preseason game with an apples-to-oranges comparison.
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At Boise State, Jeanty was the featured back in 2023, overtaking Holani after he had two 1,000-yard seasons for the Broncos. In their final campaign together in 2023, Jeanty out-produced Holani by rushing for 1,347 yards and 14 touchdowns in comparison to his 748 yards and seven scores.
Jeanty also provided a spark in the passing game, with 43 catches for 569 yards and five touchdowns. Holani contributed just 17 catches for 199 yards and no touchdowns. The following season, Jeanty rewrote the record books with 2,601 yards and 29 touchdowns on the ground.
There's a reason that Jeanty was the No. 6 overall pick and Holani went undrafted. While this may have just been a jest by the Seahawks' social media teams, it is a bit far-fetched for a preseason game, and time will not look back kindly on this take.