TreVeyon Henderson has been ruled out for the New England Patriots' season opener due to an ankle injury, and it's unclear when exactly he'll be back since he hasn't practiced since Aug. 24.
In his absence, a lot of eyes will be on the rest of New England's running back room, but perhaps nobody has more to prove on the team than Rhamondre Stevenson.
Stevenson has been the Patriots' lead running back since he leapfrogged Damien Harris on the depth chart in 2022, and he was slated to be their starter even before Henderson's injury. But after the Patriots drafted Henderson in the second round last year, it seems like a lot of people are waiting for him to take the starting job sooner rather than later.
The thing is, though, even though the Ohio State alum showed some flashes last year (911 yards and 10 total touchdowns in 17 games and just four starts -- had a three-touchdown game against the New York Jets in Week 11, rushed for 148 yards and two touchdowns against the Buffalo Bills in Week 14), he is not better than Stevenson, who now has a great opportunity to make that crystal clear.
Rhamondre Stevenson is the Patriots' best running back
To be clear, there's a lot to like about Henderson. He's fast. He's electric. And he has all the tools to be a successful contributor in the NFL. He's a threat to score a touchdown every time he touches the ball, and that's not something you can teach. Many view him as Stevenson's eventual successor, with some wondering just how soon he will take his spot.
He is also a bad pass blocker and has poor field vision. And after playing 45.8% of available offensive snaps for the Patriots in the regular season, he played just 31.4% in the playoffs. That's how much the team couldn't trust him to play when the lights were at their brightest.
Stevenson is far from the flashiest running backs in the league, and by no means is he perfect. The main talking point is his poor ball security. He has fumbled the ball 17 times throughout his five-year career, including three last season (though none were after Week 5), which is tied for Austin Ekeler for the most fumbles by a running back during that stretch.
Obviously, that's far from ideal, but the Las Vegas native does everything else right. He is great in pass protection. He knows how to find a gap and run through it. He is a solid mix of powerful and shifty. And he has become a real factor in the passing game.
He's not Curtis Martin or Corey Dillon, but Stevenson is a fantastic running back who could be in for the best year of his NFL career. Henderson might take the reins at some point, but fans shouldn't expect that to happen anytime soon. Stevenson is the guy, and he should be able to prove exactly why right away.
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