Las Vegas Raiders offensive coordinator Chip Kelly has indicated that rookie running back Ashton Jeanty has been advised to modify his backfield stance by the team's running backs coach, Deland McCullough. During a recent press conference, Kelly clarified, "I didn't tell anybody on this team to be in any stances because I don't coach positions." This statement followed Jeanty's earlier comments regarding his interactions with Kelly during rookie minicamp.

Jeanty recounted a memorable moment with Kelly from the first day of minicamp, where the offensive coordinator engaged him in a basketball analogy. "What's crazy is, Chip Kelly comes to me first day of rookie minicamp, and he's like, 'You ever play basketball?' And I'm like, 'Yeah, I play basketball, you know I can dunk and all that.' He's like, 'OK, show me how you would guard me,' and he's acting like he's holding the ball," Jeanty explained. This exercise was seemingly aimed at demonstrating the importance of proper stance for a running back, which Jeanty confirmed he plans to adjust in response to the coaching staff's request.

Originally selected by the Raiders as the sixth overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, Jeanty exhibited a strong upright stance during his college career at Boise State, where he concluded his junior season as a Heisman Trophy finalist. In 2024, he amassed 2,601 rushing yards on 374 attempts across 14 games, securing a total of 30 touchdowns while averaging 7.0 yards per carry. While acknowledging the need to adapt his stance to fit the Raiders' system, Jeanty also noted the possibility of reverting to his previous style in the future, stressing, "I have to earn my stripes and make some plays first, but I don't think it's going to be the end [of the stance]." Despite not being the primary influence behind this adjustment, Kelly expressed admiration for Jeanty’s potential, stating, "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. He's special." With this adjustment, Jeanty aims to enhance a Raiders offense that struggled with one of the least effective rushing attacks in the league last season.