Rhamondre Stevenson’s early-season stats aren’t going to jump off the page. He’s yet to rush for 65 yards in a game. He hasn’t ripped off a 25-plus-yard run, hasn’t had a 20-yard reception, and can’t boast an elite yards-per-carry average (4.0).
But with the news that TreVeyon Henderson will miss time after suffering a high-ankle sprain during Sunday’s rout of the Las Vegas Raiders, fans shouldn’t be expecting the Patriots to make a major move at running back.
They already have their guy in Stevenson, and keeping him on the field in a bell-cow role could be what’s best for the offense going forward.
More Rhamondre Stevenson could be a good thing for the Patriots’ surging offense
The Patriots are a more explosive football team with Henderson in the backfield, but they’ve been all-around better when Stevenson plays a true No. 1 role.
Stevenson only carried the ball 13 times in the Raiders game, but he ranked seventh among all backs in the NFL in Week 5 in yards over expected with plus 27.6.
He has been the Patriots’ best running back in pass protection and has a knack for turning potential bad plays into positive ones. Henderson has struggled in both of those areas early in his career.
“I thought he was tremendous in this [Raiders] game, gave them a threat of the run, which also helped out Maye,” Greg Bedard of Boston Sports Journal said about Stevenson on 98.5 The Sports Hub on Tuesday. "And that 12-yard run that he had where he should’ve been tackled for like a 3-yard loss was just a masterpiece.”
Stevenson has also been a sneaky-good weapon for quarterback Drake Maye out of the backfield. He has 15 catches on 19 targets for 111 yards through five games. Henderson missed the season opener at Seattle with an injury, but he only has two total receptions in his three-plus games played this year.
Rhamondre Stevenson gives the Patriots no reason to make a major move at running back
Trading for another running back does not seem feasible for the Patriots. Henderson should be back at some point, and Terrell Jennings, who was waived off New England’s injured reserve list this summer, would be eligible to work out for the team and potentially return to the roster in Week 7, per Doug Kyed of The Boston Herald.
One note on a potential Patriots running back signing.
— Doug Kyed (@DougKyed) October 13, 2026
RB Terrell Jennings' injury settlement with the Patriots expires next week, per sources. The Patriots would be able to host Jennings on a workout this week, but they would not be able to sign him until next week.
Jennings…
In the interim, the Patriots have Corey Kiner, who just played a season-high 15 offensive snaps against the Raiders, primed for the No. 2 spot. They could elevate practice-squader Lan Larison for some short-term depth.
With Henderson out in Week 1, Stevenson was in the backfield for 84.5% of the Patriots’ offensive snaps. There’s no reason to expect that to change in Week 6 against the Jets and beyond.
The Patriots love Stevenson’s skill set, and they’re about to get the chance to feature him in the coming weeks.
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