Las Vegas Raiders offensive coordinator Chip Kelly explained Thursday why rookie running back Ashton Jeanty saw his snap percentage decrease in Week 2 compared to Week 1.
Speaking to reporters ahead of the Raiders’ Week 3 game against the Washington Commanders, Kelly compared limiting Jeanty’s reps to “load management” in the NBA:
While load management typically refers to NBA teams strategically having their star players sit out games to keep them fresh and healthy, Kelly’s version of the term saw him split snaps more evenly between Jeanty, Zamir White and Dylan Laube than he did in Week 1.
Kelly noted that while he would “love for Ashton Jeanty to play every play” in theory, it isn’t a prudent strategy over a long and arduous season, adding, “You have to be conscious of, over the course of 17 games, if somebody is carrying the ball 30 times a game, they only have so many carries in a season. If you’re using them early, it’ll hurt you late.”
During his NFL debut against the New England Patriots in Week 1, the 2025 No. 6 overall draft pick played 85.7 percent of the Raiders’ offensive snaps and rushed for 38 yards and a touchdown on 19 carries.
Jeanty was far more efficient against the Chargers with 43 yards on 11 carries, but his snap percentage dropped to 55.7 percent, while White played 30 percent and Laube played 17.1 percent.
Unlike Week 1, the Raiders played from behind for most of Week 2, which forced them into passing situations more often than not.
Jeanty had some shaky pass-blocking reps during the game, and while Kelly did not name that as a reason for Jeanty’s snap decrease, it may be safe to assume that he and head coach Pete Carroll felt more comfortable with White and Laube in pass protection.
It isn’t uncommon for rookies to struggle in that aspect of the game, so it isn’t necessarily a major cause for concern regarding Jeanty and his playing time quite yet.
If the Raiders are able to find a way to score early and play with the lead against the Commanders in Week 3, it should bode well for Jeanty’s workload.
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