The Patriots' preseason opener on Friday night could not have gone much better. The team looked cohesive and was firing on all cylinders, and as a result, walked away with a dominant 48-18 win over the Commanders .
It's hard to find much to be negative about from the performance, but there is a disappointing injury to discuss. Talented undrafted free agent running back Lan Larison suffered a lower-body injury in the opener, and went to the locker room late in the fourth quarter after running in a two-yard score.
Larison ended his preseason debut with 35 yards and one score on seven carries. The running back also caught two passes for nine yards.
Now, Boston Herald's Doug Kyed is reporting that the Patriots have placed Larison on injured reserve, which means he will have to miss the entire 2025 season. In a corresponding move, the team added running back Deneric Prince .
It's a devastating blow for Larison, who had a real shot at making the roster as the fourth running back. The UC Davis product received a $175,000 signing bonus from the Patriots this offseason, which is a much larger amount than most undrafted free agents get.
The speedy running back backed up that payday this summer, too. Larison frequently caught eyes at camp and even earned some comparisons to former Patriot greats Danny Woodhead and Rex Burkhead . With fullback Brock Lampe going on injured reserve earlier this summer, it seemed like Larison was the favorite to earn the last running back spot.
Instead, Larison will likely have to wait until next summer to impress again, and the Patriots will see if Prince can impress in his place. Prince played in two games for the Chiefs in 2023, and has since spent time in the UFL with the Memphis Showboats.
Related Headlines
