Three games into the 2025 regular season, the New England Patriots lead the NFL in lost fumbles (4) and rank in a share of 27th in turnover margin (-3). That’s not exactly the kind of football Mike Vrabel-coached teams are known for, but it’s the harsh reality for his Patriots entering Week 4.
Taking care of the football will be a priority going forward. Top running back Rhamondre Stevenson lost two fumbles — the seventh and eighth of his career — during last week’s brutal loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, including one at the goal line. Backup RB Antonio Gibson also lost a fumble, and quarterback Drake Maye was strip-sacked in the fourth quarter, leading to Pittsburgh’s go-ahead (and eventual game-winning) score.
Much of the focus, of course, has settled on Stevenson this week. He led the NFL with seven fumbles last season, with three of them resulting in turnovers, and has now put the ball on the ground 16 times in 59 career games. Stevenson is a good football player, but any running back who fumbles in 27 percent of his game appearances constitutes as a walking red flag.
Patriots fans are expecting Stevenson to get benched this week, if not outright released. The fan base has been itching to see more of star Ohio State product TreVeyon Henderson, and per ESPN’s Mike Reiss, they could get their wish as soon as Week 4 against the Carolina Panthers at Gillette Stadium.
In this tackling/ball-carrier drill at Wednesday’s practice, rookie TreVeyon Henderson is the first RB to rep, followed by Antonio Gibson, then Rhamondre Stevenson. pic.twitter.com/kGYtIg1rK6
— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) September 24, 2025
Henderson fans (and his fantasy football owners) should take that news with a grain of salt, though. Stevenson may very well be in Vrabel’s doghouse for now, but based on the coach’s comments on WEEI sports radio this week, it might not be what fans are hoping for.
New England Patriots coach Mike Vrabel took some responsibility for RB Rhamondre Stevenson’s fumbling woes
In his weekly spot with the Greg Hill Show, Vrabel deflected some of the blame off Stevenson’s shoulders. Essentially, he called the team's fumbling issues as a whole a coaching issue.
“Certainly, it’s easy to look at the guy with the ball, and that has to be where it starts, and our technique. But also, it’s gotta be put on everybody else to make sure that they’re protecting the guy with the ball, that the guys aren’t coming off of plays late, diving in there. … Just as you can see there’s times where they can make the guy miss when you can see them… we have to protect him from the guy that you don’t see. So it goes on all of us.”
#Patriots HC Mike Vrabel on RB Rhamondre Stevenson's ball security:
— New England Sports Fellow (@NESportsFellow) September 22, 2025
"It starts with everybody else. It starts with him, but it also starts with protecting the guy with the ball. We'll have to do a better job of that....It goes on all of us."
(🎥: @TheGregHillShow) pic.twitter.com/bUEf5hDvAS
Vrabel’s response to WEEI’s Courtney Cox here makes some sense, as both Gibson and Maye failed to secure the football as well in the Steelers' loss. But Stevenson’s history is impossible to ignore; Vrabel gave reporters a similar line back in August — after Stevenson fumbled during a Patriots intrasquad scrimmage.
For those hoping the Patriots cut their losses now and move on, that’s most likely not happening. The previous regime signed Stevenson to a four-year contract extension with over $17 million in guarantees prior to the 2024 season. He’s not really a cut candidate until 2027, unless the Patriots want to eat around $20 million in dead-cap charges, per Spotrac.
Vrabel has chosen his words carefully, including in his postgame presser Sunday when he told reporters of Stevenson — “We absolutely need him.” When you peel back the layers, it’s easy to understand his approach.
The Patriots might not need Stevenson for the Panthers game on Sunday, but given the head coach’s handling of the situation so far, fans shouldn’t expect some sort of long-term benching or release. As Vrabel said, the team’s fumbling issues are on everybody, and Stevenson will likely reenter New England’s running back mix after some tough love.