Raiders to determine RB work by "who’s playing the best ball at the time"

Published November 3, 2026 09:14 AM When the Raiders drafted Ashton Jeanty with the sixth overall pick in 2025, the expectation was that he’d be their top choice in the backfield for years to come. Jeanty has taken the most snaps of any of the team’s running backs so far this season, but he averaged just over three yards a carry in the first seven games so the Raiders changed things up in Week 8. Mike Washington got more snaps than Jeanty and carried the ball 25 times while Jeanty ran it twice. Jeanty saw most of his playing time on passing downs and came up with a key 45-yard catch and run, but the shift in playing time remained a topic of conversation at head coach Klint Kubiak’s Monday press conference. Kubiak said it wasn’t a permanent arrangement because decisions on playing time will be based on who the team feels is the top option at a given moment. “I think it’s always a moving target,” Kubiak said. “You see where your team is at and who’s playing the best ball at the time. It’s a 17-game regular season where things change every week. They’ve been changing at guard, they change up front defensively, they change at corner. That’s the NFL. We have a young roster and we’re going to give guys opportunities and see what fits us best. But your 11, whether you’re playing really well or not playing well at all, it’s always going to change a little bit.”Kubiak pointed to Washington’s practice work rather than Jeanty’s sluggish production as the reason why he got bumped up in Sunday’s rotation. Washington produced 83 yards on 25 carries, so it wasn’t a major change in terms of success on the ground for the Raiders. It was a win after four straight losses, though, and that’s usually a good argument for sticking with an approach the next time out.