The Miami Dolphins’ 2026 season-opener could have its first major plot twist despite still being weeks away
The Miami Dolphins’ season opener against the Las Vegas Raiders is still weeks away but a major storyline has emerged for the game.
We can’t put the cart before the horse. The Miami Dolphins still have another preseason showcase awaiting them this Friday. A matchup against the Atlanta Falcons will mark the end of the preseason. And only then will team shift their attention to the Las Vegas Raiders.
But there’s a major storyline unfolding in Sin City. It’s one that could absolutely have major implications on the Dolphins’ Week 1 matchup. Former top-10 draft choice Ashton Jeanty, the presumed engine of a rebuilt offense this offseason, is mired in a major injury scare for the Raiders.
The Miami Dolphins’ Week 1 opponent, the Las Vegas Raiders, is in the midst of a major injury scare
The injury development is horrible news for both the Las Vegas Raiders and Jeanty himself. Here’s hoping this is nothing more than a scare — as there’s no such thing as a good injury. But with the Miami Dolphins teetering on the brink of finishing their preseason schedule, the implications of Las Vegas potentially being without Jeanty is impossible to ignore.
The Raiders’ offense will be commanded by Super Bowl winning offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak, who took the Raiders’ head coaching gig this winter. Kubiak’s offense is known for a “grind-it-out” approach to the run game. And that has been projected to be great news for Jeanty. The Raiders running back, entering into his second season, struggled with efficiency as a rookie despite toting a whopping 321 total touches last season. He averaged 4.1 yards per touch on a largely dysfunctional Raiders offense.
The Raiders are in an intense waiting period. But when the news comes in for Las Vegas, it will absolutely have Week 1 implications for the Miami Dolphins one way or another. Hopefully you’ll join me in hoping for the best for Jeanty’s health.
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