Besides seeing the expected second-year jump of Drake Maye this season, there was a lot of excitement about watching the Patriots' surprise second-round selection of running back TreVeyon Henderson in Josh McDaniels' offense. An up-and-down career from Rhamondre Stevenson made many feel Henderson could take over the starting role almost immediately, but it took a bit longer to see that come to fruition.
Although it hasn't been made official yet, Henderson has already proven to the team that he is the future of the backfield with his performance this season. It took a while for McDaniels to unleash him, but since he has, the running back has become the latest weapon for Maye to work with, breaking records almost weekly for the franchise and the league.
He's on pace to break another record on Sunday Night Football against the Ravens, and based on how he's played in recent weeks, recording 76 carries for 490 yards, six rushing touchdowns, and one receiving touchdown in the past five games, he could become a big part of NFL history with another impressive feat in Week 16.
TreVeyon Henderson has a chance to legitimize himself as a real threat by setting another record this week
One of the most impressive parts of Henderson's rookie season, which didn't really get kicked off until midseason, has been the ease with which he can score 50+ yard touchdowns in general, but especially when the Patriots need it.
He has already recorded four 50+ yard rushing touchdowns this year, and if he manages to do it again against the Ravens on Sunday night, or even over the last two games, he will become just the third RB in NFL history to record five 50+ yard scores, just behind Jim Brown and Chris Johnson.
#Patriots RB TreVeyon Henderson has run for four 50+ yard TDs this season.
— Carlos A. Lopez (@LosTalksPats) December 21, 2025
Only 2 RBs in NFL history have recorded five 50+ yard rushing TDs in a season: Jim Brown (1963) and Chris Johnson (2009).
Henderson could join elite company his first year in the NFL 👀
(via @MikeReiss) pic.twitter.com/VdN79EHnxf
If that's not an indication of just how brilliant it was for Mike Vrabel and Eliot Wolf to snag Henderson in the second round, then it's hard to say what is.
He has proven he will be an integral part of their offensive game plan for years to come, and is likely to steal the starting role from Rhamondre Stevenson sooner rather than later, and accomplishing this feat would only further solidify that.
To top it all off, Henderson remains the favorite to win Offensive Rookie of the Year, something the Patriots haven't seen since Curtis Martin won the award in 1995, and if he manages to win that, too, it would make the 2025 season even better than it already has been.