Despite rushing for more than 2,600 yards last season, Ashton Jeanty’s new coaches with the Las Vegas Raiders want him to tweak his stance in the backfield. Offensive coordinator Chip Kelly recently explained the thinking behind the change.
Las Vegas Raiders OC Chip Kelly Calls Football a ‘Bent-Knee Game’
Unlike most running backs, Jeanty is known for standing fully upright while awaiting the snap. It’s worked well so far — he came close to breaking Barry Sanders’ 1988 single-season rushing record.
The Raiders, who drafted Jeanty No. 6 overall in the 2025 NFL Draft, are now adjusting his fundamentals. That has puzzled some fans and media members, prompting Kelly to clarify the situation.
#Raiders OC Chip Kelly
Said their running back coach Deland McCullough actually told Ashton Jeanty to change his stance, Chip said he just gave him the example of the more traditional bent knee stance (the basketball stance example that Jeanty mentioned)
Noted how much they…— Jesse Merrick (@JesseNews3LV) May 29, 2025
In a transcript released by the team, Kelly initially pointed to running backs coach Deland McCullough as the one who asked Jeanty to change his stance. He then backed the move by calling football a “bent-knee game.”
“Deland McCullough is in charge of stances, steps, alignments, assignments, and techniques. So he talked to him about that. I gave him an analogy of an athlete being in a bent-knee position to make a play, and that kind of got blown into. I haven’t told anybody on this team to be in any stances because I don’t coach a position. But it’s a bent-knee game.”
Still, Kelly had high praise for Jeanty’s attitude and versatility.
“He’s awesome, and he’s such a coachable guy that you can do a lot of things with him. I think he can play in the slot, he can play in the backfield, he can do a lot of different things. So, he’s special.”
Expectations for Jeanty Are Sky-High in Las Vegas
Jeanty has been in the spotlight since his days at Boise State, and the Raiders plan to use him heavily next season. New head coach Pete Carroll had Marshawn Lynch during his early years in Seattle, riding him to a Super Bowl title and another appearance. It’s not hard to imagine Carroll seeing a bit of Lynch in Jeanty, who became the highest-drafted running back since Saquon Barkley in 2018.
Jeanty understands the expectations. At his introductory press conference, he said, “Yeah, I mean I wouldn’t say I’ll get 2,600 yards again right off the rip, but definitely to just be a great asset to this team, a great teammate, and just help bring wins home each and every week.”