Las Vegas Raiders rookie running back Ashton Jeanty is making headlines before his first NFL snap—this time for changing the very stance that made him go viral.
Known for standing upright in the backfield with his hands at his sides—an approach compared humorously to horror icon Michael Myers—Jeanty said the stance helped him, at 5-foot-8, read defenses more clearly. It didn’t hurt his production either: he rushed for 2,601 yards in 2024 at Boise State, the second-most in FBS history behind Barry Sanders.
Las Vegas Raiders Ashton Jeanty Adjusts Signature Stance Under Chip Kelly’s Watch
But in his early days with the Raiders, offensive coordinator Chip Kelly has suggested a shift to a more conventional, crouched stance to improve his explosiveness at the snap.
“He won for now,” Jeanty told Up & Adams host Kay Adams. “I’m going to try and persuade him one day. I’ve got to earn my stripes and make some plays first, but I don’t think it’s going to be the end [of my stance].”
The change has sparked debate among fans, some fearing it might hinder Jeanty’s natural rhythm. Head coach Pete Carroll weighed in with a grin following practice Wednesday—bending into a mock stance himself.
“I really like that stance he’s in,” Carroll said playfully. “He’s doing great. He’s right on point with everything we’re doing. He’s studying really hard… We’re not holding anything back on him.”
Jeanty shared a humorous anecdote of Kelly asking him to demonstrate how he’d defend in basketball. When he bent into a defensive stance, Kelly replied, “That’s exactly why you have to be down in your running back stance.”
Jeanty, who once dressed as Myers for a Halloween post, may have shelved his iconic stance—for now. But if he starts producing in silver and black, don’t be surprised if it makes a comeback.