The New England Patriots spent a second round pick on TreVeyon Henderson last season, and the running back quickly became one of the team's most electric players on offense. More than 1,000 yards of offense and breakaway speed like no other, Henderson appeared to be one of the centerpieces of this new-look Patriots team.
One year later and he hasn't had the same output on the field. An ankle sprain and an illness have held him out of two games this season, and when he's been on the field, he's seeing his workload dwindle down.
Six games into his sophomore campaign, the 24-year-old has just 52 carries, 203 rushing yards and one touchdown. As a receiver, he's caught five passes for 45 yards. He's played just 32% of the Patriots' offensive snaps this year and has been part of a rotation that's seeing Rhamondre Stevenson shine and Corey Kiner get a step up.
So what's happening with Henderson ahead of the Nov. 10 trade deadline? Is he getting moved? If so, where? Even asking those questions feels a bit too rash right now. Running backs coach Tony Dews laughed at that question last week. However, some of the Patriots' recent moves at the running back position feel a bit curious.
Let's try to work out this Henderson -shaped puzzle and see what might be in the Patriots' plans.
Oct 22, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; New England Patriots running back TreVeyon Henderson (32) runs the ball against the Chicago Bears during the first quarter at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Henderson missed the season opener with an ankle injury he suffered in practice. He would return in Week 2, scamper his way to a long touchdown and then fall back into a little bit of a production rut. In Week 5 against the Las Vegas Raiders, he suffered what was told to him as a high-ankle sprain.
Maybe a bit too quickly, Henderson was practicing and appeared ready to rock and roll. He'd play one week later against the New York Jets and carry the ball seven times for 31 yards in the win. On a short week and some more time to let that ankle heal, Henderson seemed poised for a breakout on Thursday Night Football.
Instead, Henderson was sidelined for more of the first half . He ended that game with just three carries, one less than Kiner, and only 13 total offensive snaps. He ran into contact with 9:12 left in the first quarter and wouldn't get his next touch until there was 7:36 left in the third.
"We had some things for him, packages or personnel groupings," head coach Mike Vrabel said at the time. "TreVeyon will help us. Wanted to see where we were with Corey getting a couple carries too, but TreVeyon will help us plenty here down the stretch. He helped us a little bit tonight."
"To me, it's more just the way the game flows more than anything," Dews said. "There's no other rhyme or reason. ... You're trying to get three guys that are capable of playing, reps. Somebody gets shorted as you also add the situational things that come up, whether it be two-minute drives, and that's what sometimes drives the snap count."
The Patriots, especially with a banged-up offense, could use Henderson's speed as a rusher and a receiver. But whether he's not fully recovered from that injury or just being used more as a situational player, something feels a bit amiss about Henderson's role right now (compared to what it could be in an offense as dynamic as Josh McDaniels').
Aug 13, 2026; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New England Patriots running back Lan Larison (34) runs the ball up the field against the Indianapolis Colts during the first half at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
This week, preparing for a road test against Miami, Henderson wasn't out there the final two days of practice. The Patriots listed him as having an illness and it's why he didn't participate . He was spotted in the locker room on Thursday, walking out with a backpack as reporters shuffled in.
He'd be listed as questionable one day later, and then downgraded to out the day after that. So the Patriots would be heading into their matchup with the Dolphins with just Stevenson and Kiner on the active roster. At that point in time, it was expected that Lan Larison - the practice squad back who was elevated to the roster when Henderson was out in Week 1 - would get the temporary call-up.
Nope. The team announced he'd be signing to the active roster for good , bypassing his two remaining elevations that could have been used. This move would give the Patriots, when fully healthy, four running backs on the 53-man roster. An interesting decision that Vrabel would be asked about a day after the game.
"Well, we just had a spot open and felt like that would give us some flexibility down the road," Vrabel said Monday.
Larison, who's chipped in as a receiving back and on kick returns , has shown signs of promise since arriving as an undrafted free agent in 2025. Now with four running backs competing for time in that cycle mentioned by Dews, could that cut into Henderson's playing time even more?
He's a nice backup option if Henderson's illness bleeds into next week, but it raised some eyebrows that the team decided to sign him rather than elevate for just that game.
Aug 8, 2025; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New England Patriots running back Terrell Jennings (26) scores a touchdown against the Washington Commanders during the second half at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
With an open spot on the practice squad left by Larison, the Patriots went out and brought in another running back. It's one who's familiar with the system in place, as Terrell Jennings agreed to a deal to return to where his career began in 2024.
Jennings was in line to make the initial 53-man roster out of training camp, but injuries forced him to go on IR and then later released with a settlement. Since then, the team has brought in several players as depth options, and Jennings - who really looked good during his time as the RB3 a year ago - feels like one who can stick.
Again, similar to the situation with Larison's signing, adding another running back to the team feels like a bit of overkill at this point in time. Jennings has special teams value, and he'll be the fifth running back to suit up in practice every day. We'll see soon if it's becoming too many.
Feb 8, 2026; Santa Clara, CA, USA; New England Patriots running back Treveyon Henderson (32) warms up before the game against the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl LX at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Some teams are looking for running backs at the deadline ( the 6-1 Minnesota Vikings is one that remains a top buyer at that spot ), and so maybe Henderson ends up on the move in less than two weeks.
Moving off of Henderson this early into his pro career would feel like a rash decision, considering how impactful he was for this offense just a season ago. However, as you read between these running back lines, it feels like something has to give when it comes to this position.
In a way, Henderson's start to 2026 feels similar to how his 2025 season began. He repped behind Antonio Gibson until the veteran tore his ACL in October. It wasn't until then that Henderson really broke onto the scene. Dews compared the current state of the room to last year's pre-Gibson injury, and it's a fair point to make. Stevenson has looked incredible as the workhouse and Kiner has become a stalwart of late-game drives. They're playing well enough to remain on the field.
Henderson appears to be the odd man out right now heading into Week 9, though, and these running back moves are going to start fanning that trade rumor flame a little more. We'll see if he gets a bigger chance this week.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/patriots/onsi as Patriots Recent Roster Moves Seem to Revolve Around TreVeyon Henderson's Future .
