When the Patriots surprisingly selected RB TreVeyon Henderson in the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft, it seemed like a solid indicator of how they felt about continuing with Rhamondre Stevenson as their starter. After a down year under Jerod Mayo, many believed the veteran's days were numbered, and Henderson's arrival all but ensured that.
But Mike Vrabel's regime wasn't willing to do that just yet, as they kept Stevenson as the RB1 throughout the summer and for most of the season so far. Despite the rookie's breakout year, which took a while to finally see, Stevenson continues to be the go-to guy out of the backfield, yet there might be reason to change that soon.
Based on how Henderson has performed over the last month, it wouldn't be outlandish to assume he has stolen the starting job, and the offense should operate that way moving forward.
He proved that again with his impressive production against the Bills on Sunday, especially with the limited opportunities he got in the second half, and it might be too late for Stevenson to regain his ground as the starter over the last three games of the year.
TreVeyon Henderson has been everything the Patriots' offense has needed and more
After what appeared to be a rookie season to forget, Henderson has become a significant part of the offense's success during the tail end of their win streak and has now recorded 773 rushing yards on 143 carries and seven touchdowns.
He's also proven to be a weapon in the passing game, too, recording 34 receptions for 212 yards (6.2 YPC) and one score. He has easily become a bright spot of what has been an inconsistent showing by the offense this season, and it's clear he's going to be a big part of what they're trying to build moving forward.
From the "silver linings" department, TreVeyon Henderson continues to impress – and to develop into a serious threat.
— Bernd Buchmasser (@BerndBuchmasser) December 15, 2025
Averages over his first 7 games:
21.6 snaps
8.4 touches
28.1 yards
0.1 TDs
Averages over his next 7 games:
39.7 snaps
16.9 touches
104.7 yards
1.0 TDs
That might be enough to let him leapfrog Stevenson the rest of the season, and probably into next year, too. And from what we've seen so far, they are a good tandem, with Henderson's explosive nature and speed, making him the frontrunner to become the RB1.
It will only get better when they get Antonio Gibson back in the lineup next year, or another running back in general, and the offense will have a dominant backfield once again.
That will highlight Henderson's rise even more, and he has three more games this year to prove just how good a pick he was in April, further validating why he should be their go-to backfield option for the foreseeable future.