The New England Patriots are trying to establish a run game for themselves 13 weeks into the season while managing injuries to the starting left side of the offensive line and to the running back position as a whole throughout the season.
As the Patriots continue to tinker with their roster, they signed veteran running back Craig Reynolds to the practice squad, according to ESPN's Mike Reiss, who spotted a locker prepared for him today while in the locker room. They released Rushawn Baker as the corresponding roster move to open up space on the practice squad for Reynolds.
With Rhamondre Stevenson being reintegrated into the offense after missing Weeks 9-11, he saw six rushing attempts last week and only had five yards total in the game. He is on a path to have the worst season of his career, averaging 3.2 rushing yards per attempt and 31.6 rushing yards per game during the 2025 campaign.
On the other hand, his rookie counterpart, TreVeyon Henderson, has been more efficient than Stevenson has, but it hasn’t been all that impressive, to say the least. Over the last four weeks, Henderson has had at least 14 rushing attempts in each game, but he’s not doing enough with his opportunities.
In the last four games, Henderson has had 65 rushing attempts for only 330 yards. He only has one game with over 100 rushing yards, and it was because he broke two runs for over 55 yards each in Week 10 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Patriots Add Veteran RB Craig Reynolds to Practice Squad
Needless to say, the Patriots will benefit by adding another running back to the mix as they make their push for a deep playoff run. Reynolds could be the perfect addition to help jumpstart the run game for the Patriots.
Over the course of his career, Reynolds has never been the lead guy, but he’s a great complementary piece to have. He spent the last five years with the Detroit Lions, averaging 4.3 yards per attempt as the backup to a powerful running offense behind Jamaal Williams, D’Andre Swift, Jahmyr Gibbs, and David Montgomery.
Reynolds has proven to be productive, no matter the situation. He understands his role as a backup and can produce when he’s called upon. He’s not too active as a receiver, but that’s more so due to the type of offenses he’s been part of over the years in Detroit. He does have minimal experience as a kick returner in his career, but he has five returns for 118 yards this season.
The Patriots have already called up multiple running backs from the practice squad on game days, one of whom was signed to the active roster in Terrell Jennings after taking advantage of his opportunity. That said, Jennings quickly lost the momentum he had and is becoming unserviceable for the Pats.
With there being a couple of available spots on the roster due to recent IR designations, the Patriots have some roster flexibility right now. Reynolds could find himself being called upon sooner rather than later in New England.