New England Patriots - NESN.com
The New England Patriots haven’t had a 1,000-yard rusher since Rhamondre Stevenson racked up 1,040 yards on the ground during the 2022 season.
CBS Sports NFL writer Jeff Kerr sees that drought ending during the 2025 campaign, but not with Stevenson.
Following a huge preseason debut on Friday against the Washington Commanders, Patriots running back TreVeyon Henderson is looking like one of the most exciting rookies in the NFL.
Now, Kerr is predicting big things for Henderson in 2025.
He looked at six trends from Week 1 of the preseason and concluded whether each of them were “overreactions” or “reality.”
Kerr said that Henderson rushing for 1,000 yards this season is a “reality.”
“Henderson made quite the impression in his Patriots debut, debut, returning the opening kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown — showcasing his big play ability. He had just one carry (for 18 yards), but caught multiple passes out of the backfield,” he wrote. “The Patriots have a dual-threat back in Henderson, who could open the season with equal snaps as Rhamondre Stevenson if he continues to impress in camp. Stevenson is projected to open the season as the starter, but that could soon change if Henderson’s big-play ability continues to show in these preseason games.”
Whether or not the Ohio St. product is able to reach 1,000 yards rushing will depend largely on health and playing time.
The 22-year-old led the Big Ten in yards per carry during his 2021 freshman season (6.8) and 2024 senior campaign (7.1). Henderson went over 1,000 yards on the ground during both of those years as well, finishing with 1,248 yards on 183 carries in 2021 and 1,016 yards via 144 rushing attempts last season.
“Giving Henderson more touches and allowing him to make plays early in the season will allow him to put up huge numbers in year one,” Kerr wrote. “The sooner Henderson gets more snaps, the better he’ll be. He has a good shot at 1,000 rushing yards in this young offense if he plays.”
