The tough decision Raiders could make on Ashton Jeanty that he doesn’t want to hear

With the Las Vegas Raiders preparing to face the Buffalo Bills in Week 6, all eyes will be on Ashton Jeanty as he tries to regain the form that made him one of the franchise’s top prospects. However, the running back is off to a start that has fallen short of expectations, and injuries are beginning to raise concerns within the team.

Ashton Jeanty continues to deal with physical issues

ESPN analyst Dan Graziano detailed Jeanty’s difficult situation. The second-year back has managed just 291 rushing yards through five games and turned in a quiet performance against the New England Patriots, finishing with only 27 yards on 10 carries.

According to Graziano, Jeanty has been playing through discomfort since before the season began.

“Has been bothered by an ankle injury since the preseason and is now dealing with a foot injury,” the ESPN analyst wrote.

Jeanty was listed as questionable for the Patriots game but was cleared to play after completing a nine-minute pregame workout and speaking with the medical staff and coaches.

“Second-year Raiders running back Ashton Jeanty is having a disappointing season. He rushed for 27 yards on 10 carries in Sunday’s blowout loss to the Patriots, though he did have 50 receiving yards on three catches. Jeanty has been bothered by an ankle injury since the preseason and is now dealing with a foot injury as well. He was questionable to play Sunday and only got cleared after a nine-minute pregame workout and discussion with team trainers and coaches. But keep an eye on this situation,” Graziano wrote.

Could the Raiders give Jeanty a week off?

With the possibility that the injuries could linger, Las Vegas has already discussed giving Jeanty a week to fully recover — though that option would not sit well with the running back himself.

“The Raiders have internally discussed giving Jeanty a week off to heal at some point,” Graziano wrote. “He does not want to take a week off and has pushed to play through the injuries. But the Raiders’ bye isn’t until Week 13, and there may come a week in the near future where they decide the best thing for Jeanty and for the team is to rest him. They have confidence in rookie running back Mike Washington Jr.’s ability to hold things down for a game or two with Dylan Laube backing him up, if it came to that.”

The problem is that the team’s scheduled bye does not arrive until Week 13 , so the franchise may be forced to make a decision sooner if it determines that a temporary rest is best for Jeanty’s health and the team’s overall performance.

The Raiders believe rookie Mike Washington Jr. can step up if Jeanty needs to miss one or two games, with Dylan Laube available as the secondary option in the backfield.

For now, Jeanty’s immediate future will depend on how his body responds and whether L as Vegas chooses to prioritize his recovery before the injuries further impact his production.