While Drake Maye and A.J. Brown have garnered most of the attention at New England Patriots training camp, Rhamondre Stevenson has turned heads with his performance.
The veteran running back appears to have picked up where he left off last season, when he finished the campaign with 348 rushing yards (5.4 YPC) and 14 catches for 148 yards over his final five games (including playoffs).
“My God, he is standing out during training camp too,” Curran said on Thursday’s Quick Slants. “It’s interesting. … I’ve been on the radio talking about what the roles and what the division of labor will look like in the backfield. Throughout training camp, it’s Rhamondre Stevenson.
“He has had an unbelievable camp. He actually looks slimmer. He’s caught the ball so well out of the backfield. He’s getting the ball, I would say, 60, 70 percent of the time relative to TreVeyon Henderson. … Just hold on to the ball, ‘Mondre. Just hold on to it.”
Stevenson’s role as New England’s top RB was in question heading into 2025 after the Patriots selected Henderson in the second round (38th overall) of the NFL Draft. After totaling seven fumbles (three lost) in 2024, Stevenson found himself on the hot seat again following two lost fumbles in the team’s Week 3 loss to Pittsburgh and another two weeks later in Buffalo.
Handerson finished his rookie season with more carries (180) and rushing yards (911) than Stevenson, but Stevenson was the more trusted and productive option throughout the playoffs. Perhaps most importantly, the 28-year-old didn’t fumble from Week 6 on.
It remains unclear how head coach Mike Vrabel will divide the workload in his backfield in 2026, but Curran’s observations indicate Stevenson will again handle most of the snaps. That said, Henderson should still play a crucial role as an explosive back who can change a game with a single carry. The Ohio State product led all NFL RBs with four touchdowns of 50-plus yards last season.
Hear Curran and Phil Perry’s takeaways from the Patriots’ joint practices with the Philadelphia Eagles in the latest episode of the Patriots Talk Podcast:
