The New England Patriots suffered a heartbreaking defeat at the hands of the mighty Buffalo Bills. Yet, among the tears, there should have been cries of joy at the amazing exploits of rookie TreVeyon Henderson. He's become the first rookie in Patriots' history to record four runs of 50-plus yards in one season. It's no small feat.
Remember that the team has had Hall of Famer Curtis Martin on its roster, along with Sam Cunningham and other solid backs.
The rookie second-round draft pick has taken his game to a whole new level in recent games and is meeting and surpassing the exploits of his Patriots' predecessors almost weekly. He's a special player and a seemingly wonderful young man whom Patriot Nation can be exceedingly proud of.
Losing to the Bills is no shame, as almost every other team does. But after being ahead 21-0, expectations were so high that it was a letdown of monumental proportions for Patriot Nation. Yet, at least some consolation can arise from the dynamic play of TreVeyon Henderson.
Patriot Nation can rejoice over their newly found star running back
Moving on from the disappointment of the Patriots' loss to the Bills after holding that lead, the further emergence of their electric rookie running back, Treveyon Henderson, who is literally and figuratively exploding onto the scene, is a story worth telling - and a wonderful story, indeed.
Treveyon Henderson was drafted in the second round by Mike Vrabel to augment a team that had holes all over the roster. Yet, with his second most valuable draft chip, he drafted a smaller back at 5'10", 202 pounds to add a dimension totally missing from the lackluster 2024 Patriots' offense, explosiveness.
Vrabel hit the nail right on the head. And now his selection is setting Patriot records.
TreVeyon Henderson now has 4 rushing touchdowns of 50+ yards this season
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) December 14, 2025
That's the most by any player in a single season in @Patriots franchise history
No other NFL player has more than 2 this season https://t.co/8AXy2JjwFx
Vrabel knew he needed a commodity that the NFL cherishes: explosiveness in his offense. There was none. So, with his second pick ever as the head of the Patriots' football operations, he addressed it by choosing Henderson. who's justifying that confidence every Sunday.
TreVeyon Henderson could crack 1,000 yards this season
In addition to his four touchdown runs of over 50, Henderson is now knocking on the door of a little expected 1000-yard rushing season. He now has 773 yards and a 5.4-yard average per carry in addition to seven rushing touchdowns.
Another game like against the Bills, and he'll be flirting with the magic 1000-yard season territory.
Interestingly, it wasn't until Week 8 of the season (with the exception of the Week 3 debacle against Pittsburgh) that he even got more than nine carries in a game at all. This is on the Offensive Coordinator, Josh McDaniels. Among his other miscues, McDaniels foolishly kept the explosive Henderson on the pine because, of all things, he didn't block well enough in pass protection.
Keeping an explosive runner who's also caught 34 passes for another 212 yards and a touchdown on the bench for that reason is amateurish. Henderson is a touchdown waiting to happen on any given carry or reception in space. If his offensive line had opened even semblances of a running lane in the earlier games, he'd have over 1000 yards already and 10 touchdowns to boot.
Henderson is the Patriots' No. 1 back, no matter what Rhamondre Stevenson does. He needs the ball and some holes, and the rest will follow. That's why one of Mike Vrabel's top priorities in the 2026 offseason must be further strengthening his offensive line with road-grading run-blockers who can also pass-block.
If he does, there is no limit to Henderson's potential - none.