Raiders Dodge a Bullet: Ashton Jeanty on Track for Week 1 After Ankle Scare

Going from a Sunday prayer circle for a season-ending injury to a minor ankle tweak is the ultimate emotional whiplash for a football fan. That is exactly where the Las Vegas Raiders find themselves right now.

According to Ian Rapoport on Good Morning Football, the Raiders are officially optimistic that running back Ashton Jeanty will be ready to roll for Week 1.

"Ian Rapoport reported on Good Morning Football that the Raiders are optimistic about Jeanty's health for Week 1."

When Jeanty went down in practice on August 23 and had to be helped off the field without putting weight on his right leg, the collective gasp from Nevada to your local fantasy draft was deafening. Early fears pointed to a catastrophic knee issue, but the medical staff eventually diagnosed it as a sprained ankle that is thankfully more low than high.

For context, a high ankle sprain is a lingering curse that ruins a running back's burst for three months. A low ankle sprain is just a really bad weekend.

The Raiders desperately need their sophomore back on the field. Despite what some called a frustrating rookie campaign after being drafted sixth overall in 2025, Jeanty still racked up 975 rushing yards and caught 55 passes for another 346 yards and 10 total touchdowns.

Head coach Klint Kubiak has already made it clear he wants to feed Jeanty a heavy workload this year. You do not draft a guy in the top ten to put him in a timeshare with rookie Mike Washington Jr. unless things have gone horribly wrong.

This update is a massive exhale for fantasy managers and anyone looking at Las Vegas team totals in the betting markets. Jeanty is the engine of this offense, and without him, the unit looks dangerously close to the squad that just dropped an 18-12 preseason rock fight to the San Francisco 49ers.

Week 1 is approaching fast, and while his status might technically remain up in the air until game day, the panic alarm has officially been turned off. Expect the Raiders to test that ankle heavily in the coming days to make sure their star back is ready for a full workload.