The New England Patriots are red-hot and are 5-2 on the season. They've won four straight games, which is taking over the chatter around the team. Getting wins is the most important thing, but the lack of usage for rookie running back TreVeyon Henderson hasn't gone under the radar amid New England's heater.
Offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels spoke with the media (h/t @DougKyed) on Thursday and talked about Henderson's low playing time in Week 7. McDaniels said it was "circumstantial," since Rhamondre Stevenson ran well in the beginning of the game, so they just kept it rolling with him.
Although McDaniels' logic makes sense, that doesn't change how Henderson's usage has been frustrating.
Josh McDaniels Talks About TreVeyon Henderson’s Lack of Reps in Week 7
In the win over the Tennessee Titans, Stevenson played in 75% of offensive snaps (49). Meanwhile, Henderson and practice squad RB Terrell Jennings both had nine total snaps. In the contest, Henderson only had two carries for five rushing yards. On the flip side, Jennings had five rushes with 18 rushing yards.
As the players were walking back to the locker room, head coach Mike Vrabel was seen saying, via reporter Doug Kyed, that the Pats have found their "five-minute” back, regarding Jennings, which likely spells bad news for his rookie counterpart.
What's worse is that the Patriots keep finding new reasons to justify why Henderson isn't playing. Last week, RBs coach Tony Drews blamed it on regular-season competition being different from what Henderson faced during the preseason. Even special teams coordinator Jeremy Springer doesn't sound excited to use the first-year pro in a returning role, saying he doesn't want one of the team's RBs to end up hurt.
Henderson hasn't earned the trust of the coaching staff thus far, which is why Stevenson is the main ball carrier in the backfield. And it doesn't seem to matter that Stevenson's fumbling problems have carried into this season, as he's put the ball on the ground three times. Fumbling the ball in a game is unacceptable, and Vrabel has called the veteran out for that, yet it still hasn't stopped them from trotting him out as the RB1.
During the summer, Henderson was a standout who made plays in practice, but it hasn't translated onto the field. There seems to be no timetable on whether Henderson will see an influx of reps. Stevenson is going to be the workhorse in the backfield until further notice, and it seems that Jennings will also chew into those snaps.
The first seven games of the season have been a massive disappointment for Henderson, to say the least. The Ohio State product is second on the team in total snaps (151) but hasn't been able to be too productive on the field, compiling only 153 rushing yards, 99 receiving yards, and one touchdown in 2025.
It'll be interesting to see how things continue to shake out in the backfield, but it appears that Patriots fans shouldn't expect much of their second-round pick until the coaching staff stops making excuses.