TreVeyon

Henderson

Henderson needed to be a Super Bowl X-factor, but it turned out no Pat was capable of changing the game vs. the Seahawks’ defensive onslaught. The No. 38 overall pick of the draft, Henderson struggled to overtake Rhamondre Stevenson as starter even though he eventually led the team in rushing and totaled 10 touchdowns. As explosive as advertised — he cleared 5.0 yards per carry as the Patriots’ “lightning back,” and finished top 10 in rush yards over expected — Henderson was nevertheless disfavored by the playoffs, where Stevenson was the runaway “1A” option. It was still an ultimately promising rookie season, but Stevenson remains under contract for 2026, and there’s little reason to expect the Pats to abandon their two-back approach following a Super Bowl run. Henderson offers plenty of offseason upside as an RB2 option, but would need something to happen to Stevenson to make a run at RB1 status.

There’s not much to see here, folks. Henderson handled just three of the Patriots’ 28 backfield carries in Sunday’s win, with his longest tote going for four yards. The rookie has had single-digit carries in two of the Patriots’ three playoff games this postseason and is averaging just 2.4 YPC on those carries. It’s possible he sees more work in the Super Bowl, but his usage will be hard to predict given his limited touches and lack of efficiency.

Henderson is practicing fully this week, so his availability for the Patriots’ AFC Championship Game against the Broncos’ top-tier defense is not in jeopardy. He will continue sharing the backfield workload with veteran RB Rhamondre Stevenson, who is playing very well at the moment.

It was a disappointing performance, especially in light of what seemed to be a significant Rhamondre Stevenson eye injury. Stevenson did return to close out the game, out-touching Henderson 20-13 and out-gaining him 81-23. The Pats’ backfield duo has a rough AFC Championship Game matchup in the Broncos’ elite run defense. In theory, that could lead to OC Josh McDaniels looking to get Henderson more involved on the perimeter/out in space than he has been of late. It is nevertheless safe to assume Stevenson will remain the 1A ball-carrier as the Pats look to get back to the Super Bowl for the first time since the Tom Brady era.

Henderson helped run out the clock with a 15-yard run up the middle at the end of the game. He largely played the sidekick role while RB Rhamondre Stevenson stole the show, though. Henderson’s best play of the day was a pass-protection pickup on TE Hunter Henry’s 28-yard touchdown. Chargers LB Daiyan Henley blitzed through a wide-open lane up the middle, and Henderson put a hard hit on him, sending the linebacker spinning down to the ground in front of QB Drake Maye. Henderson will likely have an easier time producing against the Steelers, rather than the Texans, though we will not know which team he will face until tomorrow night’s game concludes.

The multi-score game on the ground was the fourth of Henderson’s excellent rookie season. He somehow got out-scored 3-2 by Rhamondre Stevenson, but Henderson won the touches battle, as he now does more weeks than not. Henderson’s emergence and Stevenson’s increased efficiency since returning from his ankle injury in Week 12 has combined to make the Patriots’ backfield one of the most formidable in the league, or at least amongst the playoff field. Henderson and company will face the Chargers at home in the Wild Card Round.

Rhamondre Stevenson got the start and saw all three of the Pats’ carries on their opening drive. Henderson was on the field for the next drive, but Stevenson’s role on the first series foreshadowed his dominance of the touches that matter. He would go on to score at the goal line in the first quarter and picked up a receiving touchdown at the top of the second frame. He finished the day with five catches while Henderson did not log a target. Henderson remains the Pats’ top back in fantasy, but the lack of high-value touches will keep him parked at the back of the RB2 ranks for Week 18 versus Miami.

Henderson came into the weekend listed as questionable for the team’s Week 17 game against the Jets but has since been cleared by an independent neurologist. Expect no limitations as he forms a committee with established veteran Rhamondre Stevenson. Henderson’s per-touch upside keep him in the upside-RB2 discussion for fantasy Championship week.

Henderson shed his non-contact jersey on Friday and will have a chance to suit up for Sunday’s game against the Jets. Henderson still needs to clear concussion protocol to get on the field, but the decision to list him as questionable suggests the team believes he will be able to clear protocol in time. His status remains one to watch, but if he is clear, Henderson will be on the fantasy radar as a high-end RB2 in a plus matchup against the Jets. While Henderson is questionable, the Patriots also did rule out OG Jared Wilson (concussion).

It’s the clearest signal we’ve had this week that Henderson will have a chance to clear concussion protocol before Week 17’s game against the Jets. The rookie running back was limited in both Wednesday and Thursday’s practices, but could be trending toward a return before the weekend. The Patriots should release their final injury report in the next couple of hours, so Henderson’s name will be one to watch when that is announced. If he is unable to go, Rhamondre Stevenson would be in line for a big workload against one of the league’s worst run defenses.