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Mike Vrabel Could Start One Rookie Sooner than We Thought
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- Mike Vrabel Could Start One Rookie Sooner than We Thought
Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images
Mike Vrabel is back in Foxboro, and this time, he gets to coach the team he once starred for. Naturally, expectations around town are incredibly high as the team tries to get back to the winning ways they knew for so long.
This offseason, the team made a ton of additions to the roster in a bid to improve after a miserable 2024 season. Stefon Diggs , Carlton Davis II, Milton Williams , and more were all added in free agency, while the team drafted Will Campbell , Kyle Williams , and TreVeyon Henderson , among others, in the 2025 draft.
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The early returns on this rookie class have been encouraging, especially for Henderson. The Ohio State product took the opening kickoff back for a 100-yard touchdown in the first preseason game and has impressed all summer in practice.
It's always been assumed that Rhamondre Stevenson would remain the lead back, while Henderson comes in to spell the veteran. However, it may no longer be a guarantee that Stevenson ends up getting the most carries.
Per The Athletic's Chad Graff , the Patriots' plans at running back are actually up in the air right now, and we don't know "how many snaps he'll (Henderson) actually get."
"A team that has had such little explosiveness on offense finally has a player who can break through for a big gain even when everything else feels stuck in the mud. That should make a big difference this season and might make Henderson the most exciting player to watch on offense," Graff wrote .
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Graff added that he's "confident at this point that Henderson will get half of the running back snaps this season" and even though head coach Mike Vrabel has "publicly backed" Stevenson and "seems inclined to at least try out a running back committee," things may change.
Aside from Henderson's explosiveness and natural ability, Vrabel could also consider giving the rookie a larger role due to Stevenson's problems taking care of the ball in 2024. The veteran has 14 career fumbles, and seven of those came just in 2024.
Still, even with the fumbling, Stevenson has been a capable starter. Since entering the league in 2021, Stevenson has had at least 600 yards in each season, and passed the 1,000-yard mark in 2022. Stevenson has also never played in fewer than 12 games, so he's been durable as well.
Henderson has really impressed, though, and it may become impossible to keep him off the field. The rookie has already earned rave reviews from several teammates and coaches, including from Stevenson himself .
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