Rhamondre

Stevenson

Reiss also notes that the Patriots have three pre-Week 1 practices remaining, and Henderson has not practiced since August 24th, when he sustained the injury. One week ago, a Boston Globe report indicated Henderson should be “good to go” for Week 1 against the Seahawks. He still has time to get right, but veteran RB Rhamondre Stevenson can be treated as the team’s clear-cut lead back for the time being.

According to Price, a league source indicated Henderson “avoided a serious right ankle injury when he slipped on the turf at practice earlier in the week.” Henderson is still trying to unseat RB Rhamondre Stevenson as the team’s starter and will likely continue competing for the gig in-season. Henderson, 23, possesses intriguing, explosive dual-threat traits. Drafting him may require patience early on, but the payoff could be worth it.

According to ESPN’s Mike Reiss, Henderson slipped on the field while making a cut and left the field. The second-year back was reportedly getting his right foot/ankle/leg checked out by trainers, but we are still waiting for more information on his status. Henderson is expected to again find himself in a 50-50 backfield split with Rhamondre Stevenson this season, but any absence would immediately raise the weekly expectations for Stevenson for as long as Henderson is out. Hopefully this isn’t anything too serious, we will be sure to provide an update when we receive one.

TreVeyon Henderson’s involvement in the offense could hinge heavily on his pass-protection performance, but Graff believes that if Henderson can hold up in those situations, he and Rhamondre Stevenson are looking at a 50-50 split. In his article over at The Athletic, Graff says the Patriots “want to take advantage of Henderson’s big-play ability, but they believe in Stevenson a bit more to get what’s blocked.” Henderson and Stevenson should both see plenty of work to have standalone fantasy value, but they could prove frustrating to roster in start/sit leagues if their roles become difficult to predict on a week-to-week basis.

It’s a concerning development since pass protection cost Henderson major snaps and reps during his disappointing 2025 rookie campaign. Graff said Henderson during training camp has “looked a bit like last season: big, explosive plays, but just enough mistakes in pass protection that it feels like a risk to use him on third downs.” Without serious improvement in his blocking, Henderson’s role likely won’t change all that much in 2026. Meanwhile, Rhamondre Stevenson, per Graff, “has done enough to keep the Patriots’ backfield workload at 50-50.” New England’s backfield is once again shaping up to be frustrating for fantasy purposes in 2026.

The presence of A.J. Brown in the New England offense, Graf said, could stop teams from crowding the line of scrimmage this season. The Patriots in 2025 faced the league’s second highest rate of stacked boxes (eight or more defenders) at 52 percent, as opposing defenses were not afraid of the team’s pass-catching options. This in turn created less-than-optimal conditions for TreVeon Henderson and Rhamondre Stevenson. New England last year ranked 18th in yards before contact per attempt, a rate that could (should) rise if defenses give more respect to the passing attack. Graf said Henderson could continue missing out on valuable snaps if he hasn’t improved his pass protection this offseason.

Reiss bases his conclusion on Jennings’ work with the first-unit punt protection team. Jennings, 25, rushed 23 times for 73 yards and one touchdown, and turned his lone target into a nine-yard gain last year. Jennings is a name to know for waiver wire purposes, in case RBs Rhamondre Stevenson and TreVeyon Henderson miss time. Aside from that, Jennings will not be scoring fantasy points on the punt squad.

Smart. Henderson was viewed as a potential passing game contributor as a rookie last year, but veteran RB Rhamondre Stevenson continued to lead the way on passing downs throughout the year. Over the course of the playoffs, Stevenson out-snapped Henderson 54-to-6 on third down and 20-to-17 in the two-minute drill. If Henderson has meaningfully improved pass protection and receiving, he could challenge Stevenson for that role in training camp. Henderson adds that after being tested “physically and mentally” by playing through consecutive extended seasons, at Ohio State and with the Patriots, he has been “refreshed as a full participant in the team’s voluntary offseason program.”

Stevenson qualified as a rare bright spot as one of only two Pats to find the end zone in a 29-13 defeat. Given a new backfield running mate in No. 38 overall back TreVeyon Henderson, Stevenson finished the year as the Pats’ second leading rusher. That, of course, doesn’t tell the full story, as Stevenson survived an early season deluge of fumbles to end up the most trusted back for the stretch run, including the playoffs, where he out-touched Henderson 68-35. Curious, but the Pats’ sharp coaching staff preferred Stevenson’s tough running to Hendo’s home run ability, while the veteran was a (far) superior pass blocker. Stunningly, Stevenson actually led the league in average rush yards over expected. Turning 28 later this month, Stevenson has one season left of guaranteed money. He’s guaranteed to remain a thorn in the side of Henderson partisans, but it stands to reason Hendo will get a longer 2026 runway than he did as a rookie. Stevenson is best treated as a lower-ceiling RB3 in offseason best ball drafts.

Facing a stout defense and snowy conditions, the Patriots leaned heavily on Stevenson all afternoon. The fifth-year vet did what he could, but outside of a 12-yard run in the fourth quarter, the Broncos kept Stevenson bottled up on the day. Stevenson’s 25 carries led the Patriots’ backfield by a wide margin, as rookie TreVeyon Henderson was limited to just three carries on the day, and did not see a target. Stevenson should again be leaned on heavily in a few weeks with the Patriots one game away from another Super Bowl title, and will hopefully face better conditions in San Francisco.