The Raiders need a lot more from Ashton Jeanty. He says he doesn't want to come off the field.
Klint Kubiak's offense ranked last in rushing yards per game in 2025. The fix runs through his rookie of the year, a new center, and a scheme that wants Jeanty on the field for 80-plus percent of snaps.
Las Vegas ranked last in the NFL in rushing yards per game (77.5) and rushing touchdowns (5) in 2025. Ashton Jeanty led all rookies in rushing yards anyway. Klint Kubiak's ask for year two: stay on the field, handle the passing game, and produce numbers that the offensive line couldn't give him as a rookie.
What does Kubiak actually want from Jeanty?
High snap rate, close to what Christian McCaffrey runs in San Francisco (83 percent). Kubiak runs a wide zone scheme modeled on his time in Seattle and wants his back involved in the passing game at the level Alvin Kamara reached under him in New Orleans, where Kamara averaged six targets per game. The ask is less about volume carries and more about being a genuine receiving option on every down. Jeanty put up 55 catches for 346 yards and five touchdowns as a rookie, which is the foundation Kubiak wants to expand.
What did the rookie year actually look like?
975 rushing yards and 1,321 total yards from scrimmage despite 3.7 yards per carry, tied 44th in the NFL. The carry average reflects the line situation. Jeanty produced 639 yards after contact, the most of any back without 1,000 rushing yards in the past 20 seasons. The production came despite the blocking, not because of it. He didn't get the yards at the point of attack; he made them on his own after contact.
What changed up front?
Tyler Linderbaum joins at center, which is the most significant addition. Tackles Kolton Miller and Jackson Powers-Johnson return healthy after missing time in 2025. The interior was the specific problem last season: Las Vegas ran into loaded boxes most weeks because defenses learned quickly that the line couldn't generate movement at the point of attack. Linderbaum is a scheme fit for Kubiak's wide zone, which asks the center to reach and seal rather than overpower.
What does Jeanty say?
'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.' The quote matches what Kubiak wants. The remaining variable is whether the line upgrade translates into better yards per carry, which would open up the play-action passing game that Kubiak builds everything around. If defenses can stack the box against a 3.7-yard-per-carry back without consequence, the scheme doesn't function. If Jeanty breaks 4.5 yards per carry with the new center, the offense looks different.
Players in this story
Sources
- ESPN: Raiders to put 'a lot' of pressure on Ashton Jeanty in Year 2
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