TreVeyon Henderson missed Tuesday's practice with an ankle injury, and that's the kind of news that makes a beat reporter's stomach drop this close to kickoff. The Patriots are three days away from games that matter, and their lead running back is already dealing with a soft-tissue issue. Vrabel and Wolf aren't the type to panic over a single missed practice, but the timing here is brutal.
What makes this particularly sticky: Henderson's injury creates a ripple effect on depth. Rhamondre Stevenson, Hassan Haskins, and Elijah Mitchell are all in the mix, but none of them have fully proven they can be a workhorse if Henderson's ankle lingers. You want your starting running back logging full reps in the final week before the season begins, not managing pain management protocols.
On the brighter side, there's one roster spot still open, and that creates some interesting flexibility. The Patriots can still add a body if they need emergency depth. Whether that happens depends entirely on Henderson's Wednesday and Thursday testing.
Meanwhile, Quintayvious Hutchins, the BC alum the team drafted in the seventh round, is trying to lock down that edge rusher spot. Local guys have a chip on their shoulder about proving themselves at home. Hutchins is right to lean into that narrative—it's real motivation. Whether he can actually beat out the competition (Harold Landry III, K'Lavon Chaisson, and others) is a different question. But the man's got the right mindset, and that matters in camp battles.
No practice Wednesday keeps the injury report tight, which is standard procedure this time of year. But don't mistake a light schedule for light stakes. Every rep, every health report matters now.