New England Patriots - NESN.com
The New England Patriots made it clear going into the 2025 NFL Draft that they were going to draft the best players available rather than taking a player for need. And they lived by that, especially in the second round when they selected Ohio State running back TreVeyon Henderson despite having just given Rhamondre Stevenson a huge extension.
Due to this move, the Athletic’s Chad Graff highlighted Stevenson’s contract as one to watch during the 2025 season.
“The Patriots don’t really have an obvious contract problem, either in terms of potential holdouts or deals that must get done. Instead, let’s look toward the future,” Graff wrote. “They gave Stevenson a four-year, $36 million extension last summer (which is just kicking in this year), a deal that already looks foolish after his struggles last season. Then they drafted running back TreVeyon Henderson in the second round, giving them an out to move on from Stevenson after the season if he struggles.”
“That’s going to make this an important season for Stevenson,” he concluded.
Last season, Stevenson had just signed a big extension and was expected to be a key part of New England’s offense. However, while he led the team with 801 rushing yards and seven rushing touchdowns, there was one big weakness that reared its ugly head.
Stevenson fumbled six times during the season, and three of those resulted in a change in possession. Teams started to target this weakness, and they were able to exploit it often.
While Jerod Mayo never truly held him accountable, everyone knew Mike Vrabel was going to come in and change things. However, the new Patriots head coach made it clear that Stevenson is still going to be a crucial part of the offense.
“We’re extremely excited to have him with us,” Vrabel told reporters in May. “He’s going to be a large part of what we do.”
At this point, it seems Stevenson is at the top of the depth chart, but things could quickly change with the addition of Henderson. We’ll have to wait and see what happens.
