Ahead of the Raiders' matchup with the Jets this week, star running back Ashton Jeanty had some rather interesting words about the defense he would be facing.
Jeanty, who has managed just 3.1 yards per carry so far this season but been effective as a receiver, took a dig at the Jets' tackling ability before he lined up in the backfield against them on Sunday.
On ESPN, former Jets head coach Rex Ryan wasn't happy about Jeanty's comments, ripping into the former Heisman runner-up by calling him "the worst draft pick" among running backs in the last 20 years.
Here's what Ryan said about Jeanty's criticism of the Jets' defense.
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Rex Ryan rips into Ashton Jeanty after Jets criticism
Before Sunday's game, Jeanty was talking about the Jets' defense earlier this week and what the Raiders will be able to do.
He noted there are "a couple of guys that don't really tackle" for New York, though he didn't want to say "names."
#Raiders RB Ashton Jeanty on facing the #Jets defense this week: "Yeah. I think we can definitely get the run game going. Get back on track. ... A couple guys out there that don't really want to tackle, but I'm not going to say names." 😳 https://t.co/ySSn53MpMC
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) October 29, 2026In response on ESPN, Ryan first broke down some strong tacklers on the Jets' defense, including Demario Davis, before ripping into Jeanty.
The former coach said that if he were still coaching, he would approach Jeanty and tell him, "We are not going to try to take you out of the game."
"Why? Because you are horrible. You're about the worst draft pick of the last 20 years, I think, as a running back," Ryan said. "You stink. You're averaging 3.1 yards per carry. ... It's on you, my friend."
Rex Ryan on Raiders RB Ashton Jeanty saying that there are a couple of Jets who look like they don’t want to tackle: https://t.co/zoXmTnwQpK
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) November 1, 2026Ryan has never been shy about his football thoughts — especially when it comes to his former Jets franchise.
Of course, it's likely an exaggeration to call Jeanty the worst running back draft pick of the last 20 years; he's been good for the Raiders, but not quite great. As a rookie, he finished with 975 rushing yards and 10 total touchdowns. So far in 2026, he's been extremely inefficient as a rusher, but effective as a receiver.
Jeanty has begun to cede backfield work to his backup, rookie Mike Washington Jr. If he can't perform against the Jets on Sunday, Ryan may just have more words for the Raiders' second-year back.
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