Las Vegas Raiders running back Ashton Jeanty was knocked from Sunday’s game against the Kansas City Chiefs in the third quarter with an apparent leg injury, then worked his way back onto the field while the Raiders still held a narrow lead.

The second-year running back went down on a carry after a defender rolled up on him in the backfield and his leg bent awkwardly underneath him. He limped to the sideline under his own power and was checked by trainers.

Las Vegas was ahead 13-10 when the play happened. The drive stalled after he left, and the Raiders punted.

The scare landed on a joint Jeanty has been managing since August. He sprained his right ankle in training camp when he dove for a low throw from Kirk Cousins, landed awkwardly, and could not put weight on the leg.

The team treated it as short-term, and he opened the season. Injury analyst Jeff Mueller said the Chiefs tackle raised fresh concern for that right ankle and the knee, noting Jeanty has been dealing with the ankle since camp.

Reporter Jeff Ammirante went further, writing that Jeanty had been grimacing on nearly every snap and looked clearly hurt, and suggesting he might need a couple of weeks off.

Sideline reporting pointed the other way in the moment. Las Vegas Review-Journal reporter Adam Hill said Jeanty never went into the medical tent.

He stayed on the sideline with his helmet on and appeared to be lobbying the staff to send him back out. He got his wish on the next series and returned, though the Raiders did not hand him the full load.

Rookie Mike Washington stayed in the rotation and split carries with him.

Before the injury, Jeanty had nine rushes for 29 yards and three catches for 40 yards, a quiet ground line beside a more useful afternoon as a receiver.

Walking off without help is usually a better sign than being carted or helped, but it does not rule out a sprain that worsens once the adrenaline fades.

The Raiders had not issued a formal diagnosis as the game continued, so the difference between a scare and a multi-week absence was still open.

That distinction matters in this matchup. Jeanty is the center of the Las Vegas run game, and losing him for any stretch against Kansas City would push more of the offense onto a rookie and a passing game that has already had to work around an ankle that never fully left the conversation.

He wanted back in. Whether the right leg lets him stay there is the question the rest of the afternoon, and the week after it, will answer.