The Raiders’ narrow 19–22 preseason loss to the 49ers left little room for hype for the 21-year-old rookie who is fresh off the plan from Boise State. Before the week 1 game, Coach Pete Carroll had teased higher stakes, saying, “Everybody’s live.” However, rookie RB Ashton Jeanty made his preseason debut against the Seahawks on a disappointing note. His three carries for a loss of one yard told a harsh story. The box score was forgettable, but Jeanty’s quiet confidence suggested something different. Despite the loss, he believes the season opener against the Patriots at Gillette Stadium will look nothing like his first (or even his second) taste of action.

The scoreboard threatened to dip when Ashton Jeanty gave the Raiders a scare as he took a punishing hit from linebacker Luke Gifford. The rookie had already flashed early with two carries for 13 yards and a catch on the opening drive. After lowering his shoulder, he went to the medical tent to have his shoulder checked. Despite the scare, Jeanty looked explosive and showed the promise Pete Carroll has been counting on. And Jeanty has predicted how he wants the future to look. Reporter Jesse Merrick captured the sentiment and his promise to the Raiders on X, quoting Jeanty: “Playing a full game, being able to wear a defense down.”

Jeanty enters the Las Vegas offense already stacked with playmakers like quarterback Geno Smith, tight end Brock Bowers, and wideout Jakobi Meyers. The front office built this unit with the Lombardi in mind, and every snap carries weight. Jeanty admitted the blow rattled him but emphasized resilience. “(Bethune) definitely hit me pretty hard, but I didn’t go down,” he said.

The rookie wasted no time after returning from the tent. On the next series, he bulldozed San Francisco corner Deommodore Lenoir for a 13-yard run. He capped the drive by pounding into the end zone from the 1-yard line. The Raiders’ sideline erupted, rallying around their young back. His teammates expressed their thoughts on Jeanty after the game.

What does Pete Carroll’s locker room think about Ashton Jeanty?

To say that the Raiders locker room is beaming with excitement about future play is an understatement. Geno Smith wasted no time praising Ashton Jeanty after the Raiders’ preseason clash. He said, “He’s not shying away from contact. Sometimes you get got, I don’t think he got got today. I think he took a hit, bounced right back up and delivered the blow on the next one.” Jeanty’s college résumé backs it up. In three seasons, he tallied 4,769 rushing yards and positioned himself as a future elite.

Smith did not stop there. “That’s the type of runner he is. That’s the guy we saw in college.” The rookie’s decorated NCAA career included multiple awards and a near-Heisman moment in 2024, where he finished runner-up. It was enough to turn heads across the NFL, and his arrival in Las Vegas had Pete Carroll excited. The coach praised him back in June after minicamp. “Ashton looks every bit what we had hoped he would look like.” Caroll truly needed Jeanty.

The confidence has only grown since training camp began. Raiders veteran Maxx Crosby also put his stamp of approval on the rookie. “It was crazy, Ashton is a top-10 pick for a reason. It was a helluva run….” Crosby called it Jeanty’s “I’m here” moment. He added, “He does it all the time. He’s so compact & strong & twitchy.” Crosby’s admiration for the young back stretches beyond the field.

In July, he said, “He’s a dawg and he’s such a good dude. Like, that’s one thing about him. Like, he’s such a humble kid like you. He’s another one. Like, you look at Brock Bowers, you look at Geno [Smith], look at Ashton, like dudes that have had so much success, and you would never know if you just met him and had a conversation with him.” The veteran’s words echo the growing sentiment inside the Raiders’ locker room. Jeanty is already carving out his place in the league.