The injury gods came knocking again, and the Patriots answered the door with a familiar face. With TreVeyon Henderson downgraded to out ahead of Week 8's trip to Miami, New England promoted Lan Larison from the practice squad to the 53-man roster. It's a move that screams necessity more than opportunity—but sometimes that's exactly when you find out what a guy is made of.
Let's be clear: this isn't some revelation signing. Larison has been lurking on the practice squad for a reason. But when your lead back goes down and you've got depth concerns at running back, you work with what's in your own building. That's just football operations 101 under Mike Vrabel and Eliot Wolf. The Patriots already have Rhamondre Stevenson, Deneric Prince, Jam Miller, and a handful of others on the active roster, but Larison apparently merited the bump over the alternatives available. Whether that's because of scheme fit, recent practice performance, or just a numbers game with the Miami matchup approaching, we'll find out soon enough.
The team also elevated wide receiver Ryan Miller from the practice squad—another insurance policy after A.J. Brown hit the injury report. It's the classic Patriots formula: stay shallow, stay flexible, and have contingencies ready to deploy. Miller comes from a former Dolphins organization background, which could theoretically matter in a divisional game, though that's probably reading too much into the coffee grounds.
What matters here is execution. Henderson's absence opens snaps for whoever steps up, and Larison gets his shot in a meaningful spot. Stevenson is the clear lead, but backfield usage in the NFL is rarely that simple. If Larison can move the chains and pass-protect reliably, he'll eat. If he can't, he won't. Vrabel doesn't keep dead weight on game days.
The Dolphins present a tough environment to prove yourself, but they also present exactly the kind of divisional grind where depth matters. The Patriots are gambling that Larison and Miller have something left to contribute in Week 8. The next few hours of practice film will tell us everything we need to know.