Though the New England Patriots are enjoying incredible success this season, there's more than a few players who've had only a minor hand in their 10 wins to this point.
One name who sticks out among the lackluster contributors is Rhamondre Stevenson. The highly paid veteran running back has topped 50 rushing yards just twice in 12 weeks, while also being inconsistent on a game-to-game basis. That's not even to mention his ugly fumbling issue coming back in full force again in 2025, along with more missed time due to injury.
Any one of these issues could be grounds to consider offloading Stevenson, especially given his contract. But the emergence of rookie TreVeyon Henderson in recent weeks may be what truly spurs New England to explore a split this offseason.
Patriots Forced to Consider Moving on from Rhamondre Stevenson
Beyond the veteran back being obviously outplayed by younger options, you have the fact that the veteran has managed only 3.2 yards per carry this season. Somehow, this regressed even further in the last two games, with Stevenson averaging less than a yard a carry against the Bengals and only 2.4 vs. the Browns.
With this in mind, there isn't any question that the veteran no longer fits Mike Vrabel's rebuilt Patriots roster. Stevenson simply doesn't have enough snaps to warrant his paycheck, even if there weren't the obvious turnover and production concerns. Henderson is the future and leaves zero reason for Stevenson to be retained past the 2025 season.
Henderson far better fits in with the play style of quarterback Drake Maye. He not only gives you far more big-play potential as a rusher, but also provides Maye a reliable option out of the backfield. It is a needed wrinkle for New England's offense and made it clear that the starting role is in the young back's hands, for the seasons ahead.
Unfortunately, a non-productive back who isn't able to consistently protect the ball obviously isn't going to garner much trade value. It seems the more likely path is going to be the Pats opting to cut the veteran in the 2026 offseason.
Designating Stevenson as a post-June 1 release ahead of next season will result in a $4.85 million dead cap hit for 2026, followed by charges of $1.6 million in dead cap during 2027 and '28. However, this also would provide cap savings of $2.75 million in 2026 for New England, which is valuable space to spend on other, more worthwhile players.
The only thing that might Stevenson's situation is injuries or if the veteran's production revives for a team that appears poised for a January run. Assuming neither of those happen, it is time to reshape the RB room around this new-look and electric offense, which Stevenson is clearly a mismatched fit in.