The NFL preseason is now in full swing for the Las Vegas Raiders, with the team taking on the Arizona Cardinals at Allegiant Stadium on Thursday and No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza making his debut for the storied NFL franchise.
Although the Raiders fell short at home against the visiting Cardinals, Klint Kubiak saw some good things from his new squad in his debut as the new head coach in Las Vegas.
One of those good things was the performance of rookie running back Mike Washington Jr., who had arguably the play of the game. He broke out for a 53-yard run, setting up Mendoza to throw his first touchdown pass in silver and black.
Klint Kubiak Wants ‘More Ops’ for Raiders Rookie Mike Washington Jr.
GettyHead coach Klint Kubiak of the Las Vegas Raiders
After the Raiders lost to the Cardinals, 27-14, Kubiak spoke to the media and was asked about what he saw from Washington in his first preseason game.
The new Raiders head coach made it clear that he wants to get Washington some more opportunities in the final two games of the preseason, via the team’s YouTube channel.
“Pleased with what Mike did,” Kubiak said of the rookie running back. “Mike did some good things. Just like he practice, I think he was the same player that we’ve seen in practice. Had a big run, and just got to keep giving him more ops as this preseason goes.”
Despite a small sample size, Washington did get the most carries on Thursday night. The rookie running back carried the football six times for 63 rushing yards, highlighted by his explosive 53-yard run.
Washington has made some noise in training camp, with the team seemingly excited about the prospect of a two-headed monster coming out of the backfield, pairing the rookie with lead back Ashton Jeanty.
It’ll be interesting to see what Washington can do with more opportunities over the next two weeks ahead of Week 1 of the regular season. The Arkansas product is already listed behind Jeanty on the depth chart, and if he keeps making an impression in the preseason, he’ll likely hold off Dylan Laube from jumping into that spot.
Ashton Jeanty: Raiders’ Run Game ‘More Explosive’ Under Kubiak
GettyAshton Jeanty #2 of the Las Vegas Raiders
Last season, Jeanty had a rough time trying to make an impact playing behind a banged-up offensive line during his rookie campaign with the Raiders.
Now he’s got a new head coach in Kubiak and may get more chances for explosive plays that were sorely lacking in 2025.
Even though Jeanty still came 25 rushing yards away from cracking the 1,000-yard mark and scored five rushing touchdowns, many wondered what he’d be able to accomplish with an upgraded offensive line, which he’ll have with some key players healthy and the addition of one of the best centers in the game, Tyler Linderbaum.
“As far as the run game, I think it’s going to be more explosive this year,” Jeanty said, via NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. “Obviously, we got some more guys added to that O-line. Kolton’s healthy, JPJ’s healthy, so it’s going to be a way more explosive run game for sure.”
The Raiders adding Washington in the mix only makes that run game that much more dynamic and potentially a game-changer for Las Vegas heading into the 2026 NFL season.
Like HEAVY’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on HEAVY
The post Klint Kubiak Drops Intriguing Hint About Mike Washington Jr.’s Raiders Role appeared first on HEAVY.