The New England Patriots couldn't overcome the Seattle Seahawks' dominant defensive effort on Sunday night, ending in a 29-13 loss in Super Bowl 60. As fantastic as it was to see the Patriots exceed expectations throughout the 2025 season, losing on football's biggest stage still stings a ton, regardless of the circumstances.
Having said that, the Patriots learned a lot by coming up short against the Seahawks, including that their running back room needs some serious work. No matter who was carrying the ball, RBs Rhamondre Stevenson and TreVeyon Henderson struggled to produce against Seattle in the trenches, giving New England an unwanted headache to begin the offseason.
Fixing Patriots' RB Room Must Be an Offseason Priority
Anyone following the Patriots' 2025 campaign knows that the RB room has been a rollercoaster ride.
Despite New England using a second-round pick on Henderson last April, Stevenson opened the campaign as the RB1. His lackluster campaign early led to Patriots fans pleading for a backfield shuffle, culminating in Henderson taking over lead back duties towards the end of October. The rookie rusher played well before the brakes eventually fell off, shifting Stevenson back to the No. 1 role before the postseason.
Much to the Patriots' dismay, neither running back was productive on Sunday evening. It was the same old song and dance for Henderson, who recorded only 19 rushing yards on six carries, with nine of those yards coming on one carry. Stevenson wasn't much better, averaging 3.3 yards on seven attempts.
The running backs were outperformed by quarterback Drake Maye, who had a team-high 37 rushing yards on five carries.
Although Stevenson recorded five catches for 40 yards and a touchdown on five targets, that score came late in the fourth quarter when the game was out of reach. In other words, it did little to change the backfield-shaped concern that the Patriots are now dealing with.
The Patriots' RB duo is under contract through 2028, meaning they aren't going anywhere on their own. As disappointing and inconsistent as he was at times in Year 1, Henderson is still young, and New England likely wants to see what he can do with another offseason under head coach Mike Vrabel before rushing to any conclusions.
Meanwhile, Stevenson's late-season resurgence (and Super Bowl TD) might be enough to buy him some extra time. Conversely, the Patriots can save $6 million in cap space by trading him after June 1, per Spotrac. If an RB team is desperate enough to part with draft capital in a deal, the Pats should listen, especially if they don't feel like they can consistently rely on Stevenson anymore.
Even if Stevenson and Henderson both return for the 2026 campaign, the Patriots might be wise to sign another RB in free agency. A veteran presence who can take the load off Stevenson while ensuring that Henderson isn't put in any situation he isn't ready for. Upcoming free agents like J.K. Dobbins, Tyler Allgeier, and Kenneth Gainwell are names who could fit the bill.
Hopefully, Stevenson and Henderson learned enough from the Super Bowl loss to come back better than ever in training camp. Otherwise, the Patriots might have to get creative and find an outside solution to ensure that the backfield won't be a concern once September comes around.