Already banged up a bit in training camp, New England Patriots running back TreVeyon Henderson suffered some sort of injury at practice on Monday that forced him to leave the session early.
ESPN Patriots beat writer Mike Reiss deemed it an ankle or foot injury potentially.
Any kind of malady to Henderson turns Rhamondre Stevenson into a full-time three-down back, and that’s a role that Stevenson is so willing and ready to handle.
Having a great training camp
“I feel real confident. I’m getting to know my teammates again, and I’m getting real comfortable with them,” said Stevenson, who piled up 603 yards and seven TDs on 130 rushes a year ago.
“They’re making holes for us to run through. We’ll be where we need to be by the time the season starts.”
Stevenson’s reliability in the passing game, both as a receiver and a blocker, is what has set him apart and kept him ahead of the explosive Henderson.
He’s sold his skills in the passing game
It’s something the Oklahoma product takes pride in.
“I’ve always been confident and comfortable catching the ball and doing those routes out of the backfield. I just think it was getting those things on film and just let everybody around me, all the offensive players, all the offensive staff, gain that confidence I’ve had in myself,” said Stevenson.
“They’re just seeing me working at it, running some routes and getting open, and I think we’re sticking with a little bit.”
Dynamic pass protector
His ability in blitz pickup is way ahead of what Henderson showed as a rookie, meaning when healthy Stevenson took the bulk of the snaps in that situation.
“It’s something you have to get used to. You have to know who you’re going against. I feel like that’s 80 percent of the battle and wanting to do it,” said Stevenson of protecting Drake Maye in the pocket. “If you’re willing to do it, there’s like 10 percent fundamentals and technique to it.”
Stevenson has enjoyed a quality training camp this summer while re-associating himself with a fullback in Reggie Gilliam.
“I’m pretty comfortable running behind a fullback, but it is an adjustment. We haven’t done it for a while,” said Stevenson, whose last work with a fullback was with Jakob Johnson in 2021, his rookie campaign.
