Ashton Jeanty was the sixth overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. The Las Vegas Raiders selected the running back to kickstart Pete Carroll’s offense, and the rookie was recently at the NFLPA Rookie Premiere.
He sat down with Kay Adams and discussed how much it cost him to take No. 2 from All-Pro kicker Daniel Carlson.
Asthon Jeanty Could Have Bought a New Car With Money He Paid for No. 2
Jeanty was one of the most prolific running backs college football has ever seen. His final two years at Boise State were legendary and culminated with the Broncos appearing in the expanded College Football Playoff.
As a true sophomore in 2023, Jeanty rushed for 1,347 yards and 14 touchdowns while adding 46 receptions, 569 yards, and five receiving scores. Jeanty was named Offensive Player of the Year in the Mountain West conference, but Boise State finished the season at 8-6.
The following year was historic for Jeanty. He led FBS in touches (397) and rushing yards (2,601) and totaled 30 touchdowns (29 rushing, one receiving). He was named an All-American, finished second in Heisman Trophy voting, and won the Maxwell Award (nation’s best all-around football player).
Boise State went 11-1 in the regular season with its only loss coming on the road at Oregon. The Broncos won the Mountain West Championship Game and entered the playoffs as the No. 3 seed. They faced Penn State in the Fiesta Bowl, and Jeanty was held to a season-low 104 rushing yards on 30 carries. He added three catches for 22 yards and failed to score a touchdown.
Jeanty was the consensus RB1 in this year’s draft class and was the first ball carrier off the board when the Raiders chose him. He joins a Las Vegas team that traded for Geno Smith this offseason and is looking to compete in the AFC West.
Before Jeanty could do anything as a Raider, he had to secure No. 2. He explained to Adams how he was able to take his jersey number from Carlson.
"You could probably buy a house”…
Ashton Jeanty on what it cost to get that #2 jersey from Daniel Carlson 🤯
😂 @AshtonJeanty2 #raiders #raidernation @PaniniAmerica pic.twitter.com/P2uvl1LfvC
— Kay Adams (@heykayadams)
Jeanty laughed and said, “I didn’t get this for free, man! I had to drop a little bag, man.” Adams said, “I would like to know how much.” Jeanty replied, “I can’t put that out.”
She then asked, “You call him [Daniel Carlson], or you have someone call him? How does that go?”
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He responded, “Originally, I talked to the head equipment guy. And he said, ‘You’re gonna have to talk to him about it.'” Jeanty explained why he wanted No. 2, saying, “I’ve worn it, like majority of my career. It’s the day greatness was born, the day I was born, December 2nd. It’s a family number. All my family members who played sports they wore No. 2 as well. It means a lot.
Adams asked Jeanty how he got in touch with Carlson. The running back said, “[Raiders’ equipment manager, Bob] He gave me his number. Bob facilitated.”
Jeanty then discussed the phone call with Carlson, “I’m trying to get that No. 2. I’m willing to negotiate whatever you’re thinking. I gave him what I was thinking first, then he came back. I’m like, I gotta do it. I gotta drop that little bag for No. 2.”
Adams asked, “Are we talking college tuition? What are we talking? Like a Honda Accord? What could you buy for that, like a brand new Lexus?” He responded, “You could probably buy a house. A nice-sized house. Actually, I’m not gonna say a house, not Vegas. I’m gonna say a car, like a nice Mercedes. You could buy a Mercedes GLE.”
The base model for a 2025 Mercedes-Benz GLE 350 costs $61,850. For professional athletes, $61,000 is a small bag, but Jeanty has it after getting just under $23 million as a signing bonus in his rookie contract.
The clip finishes with Jeanty saying some of the money he gave Carlson will go to charity.
