Las Vegas Raiders running back Ashton Jeanty made it known he wants all the snaps in the backfield despite the team drafting Arkansas RB Mike Washington Jr. in the fourth round of the 2026 NFL Draft.
“I want to help the team win as much as I can, and if I don’t have to, I don’t want to come off the field,” Jeanty said.
Washington understands that Jeanty isn’t going to go half-half in reps, and wants to help the team in any way possible.
“Honestly, it’s about giving [Jeanty] respect and just being a sponge in that environment,” Washington said. That’s my biggest strength, really, just being willing to learn from everybody around me. So I’d say that’s the main thing for me: Just taking it all in and showing respect while I do it.”
Both comments were made before minicamp, and now that the two stud running backs have practiced with each other, Jeanty shared his true feelings on sharing the backfield with Washington.
Raiders RB Ashton Jeanty Shares His True Feelings on Mike Washington Jr. During Minicamp
Speaking with the Raiders media team, Ashton Jeanty finds it “beneficial” to have someone like Mike Washington Jr. in the backfield with him, and continues to stand firm on his statement that he wants to be the main running back.
“Who I am, obviously I want to be in the game every snap, but I think it is beneficial to have another guy that can come in and continue to wear defenses down and play at a high level. Super excited to team up with Mike and he’s been doing a great job putting his head down and working.”
It’s music to Raiders fans’ ears. That’s exactly what you want to hear from your first-round RB. Jeanty has that fire in his heart to be the main guy but also understands it’s important to have another dynamic back like Washington.
And Washington has big goals of his own.
“I’m looking to put on a Gold Jacket, you know? And I know it’s big words, but I have high expectations of myself and I’ve always been that way. Some people may hear this and they laugh, but people have been laughing at me my whole life. So I always use that as a chip on my shoulder just to prove everybody wrong. So that’s what I mean by that — I have super high expectations of myself and I will exceed those.”
Personally, it shouldn’t be a hot take to say that Jeanty and Washington will emerge as one of the NFL’s top RB duos. Both guys have that grit and determination to shatter expectations, and with an improved offensive line, the sky’s the limit.
Klint Kubiak Comments on Jeanty, Washington Jr.
Head coach Klint Kubiak isn’t backing down either when it comes to pushing Ashton Jeanty and Mike Washington Jr., and he made it clear that he’ll push Jeanty this offseason.
“We think we should continue to challenge Ashton and get more out of him,” Kubiak said. As for Washington, he’ll make it an emphasis to give both RBs as much time on the field as possible.
“I’ve said it before: I think it’s important to have a quality second back, but the best player has got to play, and [we’ve] got to get them on the field as much as we can.”
Regardless of how much playing time both backs get in 2026, they are expected to be a major part of the Raiders’ new-look offense.
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