The Las Vegas Raiders may have suffered a heartbreaking loss to the Chicago Bears in Week 3, but the bright side is that Ashton Jeanty finally broke out.
Jeanty had largely struggled during his first couple of games in the NFL, but that changed against the Bears’ defense as he exploded for 138 rushing yards and a touchdown, plus 17 receiving yards and two receiving touchdowns. It was a window into the kind of upside Jeanty has, so it was unfortunate that the Raiders couldn’t pull off the win.
Despite the loss, head coach Pete Carroll has to be pleased that the rookie is finding his footing in the NFL. A better running game means less work for Geno Smith, who has been mediocre since his excellent Week 1 showing against the New England Patriots.
Smith understands what it’s like to struggle in the league, so perhaps it’s no surprise that Jeanty has major respect for him as a leader via Eduardo Razo of Heavy.com:
“Just being a great teammate,” Jeanty told reporters on October 1. “When I’ve made bad plays, Geno has been one of the first people to come up to me and say, ‘Hey, you got this. You’re one of the best players on this team. We’re going to need you.’ I’m keeping that same mentality with him, letting him know I’ve got his back, no matter what happens on the field.”
Smith hasn’t been in Las Vegas long, but his leadership and maturity have earned the respect of teammates like Jeanty. For a young player like Jeanty, having a supportive veteran in Smith should help his transition to the NFL and hopefully give him the confidence he needs to build on his Week 3 performance.
With the Raiders struggling to pick up wins, Jeanty might be leaned on more to help settle the offense, though it’ll be a total team effort to get back on track. The defense outside of Maxx Crosby leaves much to be desired, so a balanced offense that can keep them off the field would be the best course forward.
Ashton Jeanty admits to being starstruck by some teammates
Some evaluators considered Ashton Jeanty to be the most exciting offensive prospect in the 2025 NFL Draft because of his explosiveness and home run ability on the field. However, the young running back admitted he was starstruck by some of his Raiders teammates after joining the team.
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