TreVeyon Henderson hasn't been on the practice field since August 24th, and his absence from Monday's media-access period is a red flag two weeks before the season kicks off. The ankle injury that sidelined him continues to linger, and at this point, we have to wonder if the Patriots' running back room is built to survive without him.
Here's what we know: Rhamondre Stevenson, Corey Kiner, Lan Larison (practice squad), and Hassan Haskins (practice squad) are the available bodies. Stevenson is the clear lead horse—he's proven he can handle volume—but this depth chart screams vulnerability. If Stevenson goes down, we're looking at Corey Kiner as the primary backup. That's a trust issue waiting to happen in a Mike Vrabel system that demands reliability.
The real problem isn't today's practice report. It's the clock. With less than two weeks until game one, Henderson needs to get back on the field and get reps. Ankle injuries can linger, especially in football where lateral movement and explosion matter. The Patriots can't afford to have their preferred back hitting the ground running cold—metaphorically or literally. If Henderson can't practice this week, we're heading into Week 1 with a committee approach that feels more like necessity than strategy.
Vrabel and Eliot Wolf didn't build this roster to lean on depth charts. They built it to execute. But execute what, exactly, if your top back is hobbled? Stevenson is a capable runner, but he wasn't drafted to be a full-time featured back. This is a test of the Patriots' depth philosophy, and so far, the ankle is winning.