Ashton Jeanty was officially listed as questionable to play when the Las Vegas Raiders take on the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts. Finally, Raiders fans (and fantasy football owners) have learned an update on where the star running back stands.
“Ashton Jeanty is a go,” Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network confirmed the Raiders’ running back has been cleared to play the Patriots in Week 5 of the 2026 NFL campaign. According to the NFL’s Injury Report statuses, Jeanty was dealing with a hamstring injury. Other reports point towards ankle and foot injuries. Either way, the health concerns were threatening to sideline him, but he pushed through.
With the Raiders coming off their first loss of the year, and the Patriots having defeated the Buffalo Bills last week, whether Jeanty played or not could have determined the trajectory of the game in Foxborough.
Gearing up for Week 5 in Mass., Raiders head coach Klint Kubiak had an encouraging statement about Jeanty’s status, though the team’s updates told a different story. According to Kubiak, Jeanty will “do his best to go”, and he did just that. New England will have to figure out a way to contain the dual-threat tail back.
Ashton Jeanty #2 of the Las Vegas Raiders.
Jeanty’s week of practice
Although he turned things around, Jeanty had been on a downward spiral. Following the injuries sustained in the grueling Week 4 defeat against the Kansas City Chiefs, Jeanty was a full participant in Wednesday’s practice.
However, he was downgraded to a limited role the next day before being completely sidelined in Las Vegas’ last practice on Friday. The fact Jeanty wasn’t listed as out in the final injury report before gameday was an encouraging note and one that the running back built on.
Clearly, anything can happen, especially when the resilience of a competitor like Jeanty is at stake. In a crucial battle to keep the good times rolling in Vegas, Jeanty won’t miss the action. However, the bigger picture can’t be lost sight of, either.
Raiders make RB move just in case
“With Ashton Jeanty questionable because of foot and ankle injuries, the Raiders elevated RB Roman Hemby,” Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported on his X account.
Calling up another running back to the active roster might be a clear indication of how concerned Las Vegas was about Jeanty’s health. Still, even if Jeanty didn’t play, Hemby would not have had much of a role. Instead, rookie out of Arkansas Mike Washington Jr. was always expected to be the No. 1 backfield option should the Boise State icon have been ruled out.
Key takeaways
- Ashton Jeanty is active for the Las Vegas Raiders’ Week 5 game against New England.
- Klint Kubiak noted Jeanty would try his best to play despite missing Friday’s practice.
- Las Vegas elevated Roman Hemby to the active roster ahead of Sunday’s matchup.
