New England Patriots - NESN.com
The New England Patriots dominated the Washington Commanders from the opening kickoff (literally) of their first preseason contest on Friday night. TreVeyon Henderson opened the book on his NFL career with a 100-yard kickoff return touchdown, and the Patriots never looked back on their way to a blowout 48-18 victory.
Henderson has been one of the standout performers of training camp, and he showed exactly why New England used a second-round pick on him in the 2025 NFL Draft. In one play, Henderson may have earned himself the starting kick returner job.
On offense, Henderson made the most of his limited snaps, racking up 18 yards on his lone carry, while also catching three passes for 12 yards. In a game full of standout performers, Henderson was the best of the bunch.
While Rhamondre Stevenson will also command touches out of the backfield, Henderson proved his strong start to training camp was no fluke. After the game, Henderson cited his faith as a key reason for his strong outing in the Patriots preseason opener.
“My purpose and the reason why I play this game. God calls me to work as hardily as for him, and not to please men,” Henderson said when speaking with reporters.
“I just try to come in with that mindset. Being in the NFL, being a young guy, second-round draft pick, it’s a lot of pressure, and sometimes it’s hard… But the biggest thing is I try to keep my eyes on the Lord.”
It’s still very early in Henderson’s NFL career, but so far, so good. He appears to be well on his way to earning significant snaps on offense for the Patriots as a rookie, and based on this preseason contest, he could emerge as a contender for the Offensive Rookie of the Year Award.
One strong game isn’t going to make or break Henderson’s career, though, and he knows that. He will look to put together another strong week of practice before New England takes the field for their second preseason clash against the Minnesota Vikings on Aug. 16.
