TreVeyon Henderson is active for Sunday against Pittsburgh. The second-year running back missed Week 1 in Seattle with an ankle injury, but the timeline on his recovery was never going to be long. He practiced Monday, was a full participant by Wednesday, and cleared the injury report by Friday. That's the kind of rapid progression that tells you the initial damage wasn't structural—just painful enough to keep him sidelined for one game.
This matters because Henderson is supposed to be the centerpiece of New England's ground game under Mike Vrabel. You don't draft a guy early and let him sit unless you have to. The Patriots made the decision to be cautious in Week 1, which was the right call. Pushing a soft-tissue ankle injury in a meaningless September game against a rebuilding Seahawks team would've been reckless. But now, with the Steelers coming to town, there's actual football to play. Getting Henderson back in the fold changes the dynamic of what Vrabel wants to do offensively.
The depth chart behind him includes Rhamondre Stevenson, Hassan Haskins, and others who are solid complementary pieces. But Henderson is the guy—the athlete with the skill set to move the needle. Rusty or not, having him available against a Steelers defense that will be keying on Drake Maye's arm gives the Patriots another dimension. Pittsburgh will have to respect the run, which opens space elsewhere.
The quick turnaround from injury report to active roster is a positive sign for durability going forward. Soft-tissue stuff can linger if it's not managed right, but the fact that Henderson was already a full participant suggests the medical staff feels confident he's ready. No lingering restrictions, no \"limited snaps\" conversations. He's game.
This is exactly the kind of news you want to see two weeks into a season. The Patriots aren't getting deeper into the injury reports; they're getting healthier. That's how you build momentum.