Chip Kelly Says Raiders RBs Coach Told Ashton Jeanty to Change His Stance

Las Vegas Raiders offensive coordinator Chip Kelly revealed that running backs coach Deland McCullough told rookie Ashton Jeanty to alter his backfield stance.

"I didn't tell anybody on this team to be in any stances because I don't coach positions," Kelly told reporters Thursday.

Jeanty initially said that Kelly approached him regarding changing his stance during a May 19 appearance on Up & Adams.

"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 said (h/t NFL.com's Kevin Patra).

"And then he's like, 'That's exactly why you have to be down in your running back stance,'" he added.

Jeanty utilized an imposing upright stance during his college career at Boise State before the Raiders selected him with the No. 6 overall pick in the 2025 NFL draft.

The running back confirmed that he'll change his stance following the request from Las Vegas' coaching staff, although he didn't completely shut the door on an eventual return.

"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]," Jeanty said on Up & Adams.

The 21-year-old wrapped up a dominant junior season with the Broncos in 2024, finishing No. 2 in Heisman Trophy voting.

In 14 games, Jeanty led the country with 2,601 rushing yards on 374 attempts while scoring 30 total touchdowns. He routinely broke tackles and evaded defenders, averaging 7.0 yards per carry.

While Kelly may not have been the driving force behind Jeanty's stance change, he's been impressed with the running back during the team's offseason activities.

"He's awesome and he's such a coachable guy that you can do a lot of things with him," Kelly said Thursday. "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."

Jeanty will look to provide a boost to a Raiders offense that owned the worst rushing attack in the NFL last season.