LAS VEGAS — An ominous silence fell over Raiders practice Sunday after running back Ashton Jeanty went down with an apparent leg injury.
Jeanty was unable to put any weight on the injured leg as he was helped from the field, while teammates stood nearby in stunned silence.
The Raiders did not provide an immediate update on Jeanty’s condition or the nature of the injury. But the scene — and the reaction from those around him, which included the entire team taking a knee in prayer — made it clear this was not being treated like an ordinary training-camp setback.
Jeanty is expected to be one of the centerpieces of the Raiders’ offense this season and a foundational piece of their rebuilding roster. Losing him for any significant time would be a devastating blow with the season opener against the Dolphins less than three weeks away.
The Raiders added some insurance to their backfield when they selected Arkansas running back Mike Washington Jr. in the fourth round of this year’s draft. Washington has been one of the pleasant surprises of training camp and the preseason, displaying an impressive combination of size, speed and explosiveness.
Washington isn’t Jeanty, and it would be unfair to expect the rookie to simply replace one of the NFL’s most talented running backs. But his emergence gives the Raiders a promising option should Jeanty be forced to miss time.
For now, the Raiders can only wait for additional testing and hope the injury looked worse than it actually was.
