New England Patriots - NESN.com
The New England Patriots are entering the 2025 season with one of their most potent running back duos in recent memory, with Rhamondre Stevenson and second-round rookie TreVeyon Henderson. And with Week 1 approaching, it sounds like there may be a change in guard when it comes to the team’s top option at this spot.
The Pats’ decision to select Henderson in the second round of the draft was a bit surprising, as they already had an established running back in Stevenson, while also needing help at several other spots on their roster.
Stevenson is coming off a rough 2024 season in which he struggled mightily with fumbles, and Henderson was one of the team’s top performers throughout the summer. With Stevenson motivated to put together a bounce-back campaign, New England’s ground game could be lethal in 2025.
The overarching presumption has always been that Stevenson will be the team’s No. 1 running back to start the season. However, after Henderson’s strong performance over the past month, that may not necessarily be the case anymore.
“The Patriots are also ecstatic over rookie running back TreVeyon Henderson, so don’t be surprised if he turns into their lead option,” Jeff Howe recently wrote for The Athletic.
Henderson has proved himself worthy of a bigger role than initially expected in 2025, but could that come right away? Stevenson is dealing with an undisclosed injury currently, and Henderson looked like a game-wrecker during his two preseason contests.
Chances are these guys will split the work at running back pretty evenly to begin the season, with Antonio Gibson also featuring as the team’s passing back. But if Henderson looks anything like he did during the preseason, though, it won’t be long until he’s earning the lion’s share of the touches out of the backfield.
