What to Expect from the Patriots RB Room in 2025
Here’s a trivia question for you. In the last 10 years, the New England Patriots have had only one running back reach 1000 yards rushing in a season. Who was it?
The answer: Rhamondre Stevenson in 2022.
Let’s not act like the Patriots were weak in running backs in the last decade. We’ve had several studs who have a giant performance on any given Sunday, from Rex Burkhead to James White, from LeGarrette Blount to Dion Lewis. All those guys, however, overlapped with each other, and none ever took on a full workload. That's how the Patriots were efficient on the ground each year, running back by committee, or at least a two-headed monster.
The Case for Rhamondre Stevenson
A lot of people forget that just three mere seasons ago, Stevenson looked like one of the most promising young running backs in the league. In 2022, Rhamondre averaged 5.0 yards per rush and hauled in 69 receptions, good for fourth out of all the league’s running backs. It's important to note that he only started seven games that year, with Damien Harris taking a lead role in many contests.
If that is what Rhamondre was capable of just three years ago, what has happened since? In 2023, he got better as the season went on. Why? Fewer carries. Rhamondre performed better when another back was sharing the backfield with him, and as a free agent addition, Ezekiel Elliott worked his way into offensive packages; Stevenson’s efficiency increased. From weeks 9-12, Rhamondre rushed for over 85 yards in every game. Unfortunately, he got injured in week 13 and missed the rest of the season. Still, it seemed that a breakout could be coming in 2024.
And as the season began, it seemed like it was to be so. Rhamondre had 120 yards and a touchdown against the Bengals, leading the team to a huge upset. In the first five weeks, he split carries with Antonio Gibson and put up good numbers (4.6 yards per attempt). However, a new problem arose: Fumbling. He started the year with four in four games, and finished the season with seven. It was rough, but if you put that aside, he finished the season strong when getting near-even carries with Gibson, again performing well. His poor full-season efficiency numbers came from a scratch in the middle, where Gibson only got the ball about five times per game. During that stretch. Stevenson didn’t break 4.5 yards per carry even once (Football Reference). He is a back who performs better when there's another talented player to handle a good chunk of carries each game.
This Season’s Backfield
This year will be the best two-headed monster backfield New England has had in half a decade. 2nd round pick TreVeyon Henderson had a breakout preseason performance, which I detailed in my last article (Preseason Week 1 Review). He looks to be every part of the explosive receiving, blocking, and home-run back that the Patriots drafted him to be. He is worthy of a chunk of carries, but like Rhamondre, he performed better in college when splitting with another back, in his case, Quinshon Judkins.
Two running backs, both used to and most productive when sharing workloads, with an improved offensive line. The Patriots’ backfield hasn’t been this exciting in years. Many people are counting out Rhamondre this season, but he may be the biggest beneficiary of the drafting of Henderson. I’m confident that both running backs can be productive on the field in 2025, and the pair will mirror the efficient backfields of the dynasty era.