The Las Vegas Raiders avoided one problem in that Ashton Jeanty won’t miss significant time due to an ankle sprain, which he suffered during practice over the weekend. The other problem, though, is they could use some veteran depth in their running back room to aid Mike Washington Jr. and his now bigger role. The question is, though, who should the Raiders turn to in the interim?
Raiders RB Ashton Jeanty, who had to be helped off the practice field today, is believed to have sprained his ankle, sources tell @rapsheet and me. The Raiders still are unsure how long he will be out, but it is not considered a long-term injury and the organization is breathing… pic.twitter.com/toRYADmjo1
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 24, 2026
The Raiders have options and shouldn’t over spend. Jeanty, who’s set for a breakout second year, will be back and shouldn’t miss too much time, if any at all. But you don’t want to put the pressure of the run game solely on Washington either. Here’s how Las Vegas can get creative just a few weeks before the start of the season.
Ameer Abdullah, Jacksonville Jaguars
Ameer Abdullah had a breakout performance for the Jacksonville Jaguars in their latest preseason game and it’s the latest sign that he still has something in the tank. Abdullah spent the 2025 season with Indianapolis, but did spend the two seasons before that with Las Vegas. They could bring in a familiar face and not need him to do a whole lot. In fact, his best season since 2016 came with the Raiders in 2025 when he rushed for 311 yards.
You’re not bringing Abdullah in to be a bell cow, you’re bringing him in for veteran depth that will take the pressure off the rest of the running back room while Jeanty gets fully healthy. The goal is to not need Abdullah for more than the first month of the season or so and use him as a depth back the rest of the way.
Washington has a lot of potential and will probably be fine in an interim case, but the last thing you want to do is put a lot of pressure on a rookie to be a sole provider in the run game.
Aaron Jones Sr., Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings haven’t shown any interest in moving on from Aaron Jones Sr., but after Jordan Mason’s big season last year, it’s worth them looking to turn Mason into the feature back of this offense. I think the Raiders would have to pay slightly more than his value just because Minnesota might not want to give up on him just yet. He didn’t have a bad year and having two running backs that can produce at a solid level is invaluable.
Jones makes sense for the Raiders because he can be a feature back like Jeanty and produce at a higher level than someone like Abdullah. That said, you’d pay a high price for a backup running back and that might not be worth it. Ankle injuries are tricky, so that’s something the Raiders would have to monitor with Jeanty. I’m not saying it’s worth paying the price, but there’s no harm in exploring Jones as an option.
Devin Singletary, New York Giants
Teams have tried to use Devin Singletary as a feature back, but he just doesn’t quite have that big-play ability like most of the other top running backs in the NFL. That said, he’s the perfect option as a veteran backup and depth back for a team like the Raiders, who could use some insurance for Jeanty. Singletary had three straight 800-plus rushing yards seasons before back-to-back 437 rushing-yard seasons in 2024 and 2025. That’s the type of production the Raiders could use.
Singletary has shifted to the bottom of the depth chart with Najee Harris now in New York and Tyrone Tracy Jr. now in the RB3 slot. That’s not to say the Giants wouldn’t mind having Singletary, but it’s a much cheaper option to go after him than it is Harris.
Las Vegas doesn’t need a big swing here, they just need a reliable backup option to give them depth while Jeanty recovers from his ankle sprain. They also need someone they can trust to produce in the run game that won’t force them to feel rushed in bringing Jeanty back into the lineup.
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