The Patriots’ training camp buzz may be centered on the offense, but one of the more interesting roster battles could come from a name that’s already in the building: Terrell Jennings.
With A.J. Brown now on the roster and the early connection with Drake Maye drawing plenty of attention, the spotlight is naturally landing on the Patriots’ passing game.
That makes sense. The defense is not expected to be the issue, and the offense is where the pressure sits heading into camp.
But tucked inside that bigger conversation is a quieter fight for snaps at running back, where the depth chart behind Rhamondre Stevenson and TreVeyon Henderson is still up for grabs.
Jennings is one of the players trying to seize that opening. He has been with New England for the last two years, and while he has not made a major impact yet, his NFL experience and special teams value give him a real case to stick.
He is not the only one in the mix, either. Jam Miller will be competing for a spot all summer, and Lan Larison is back after drawing some attention this offseason.
Still, Jennings has a path. He has the edge that comes with having already been in the league, and that matters in a battle like this. He also has a small but meaningful example to point to: when he got his chance, he scored his first touchdown during the 2025 season.
That opportunity came because of injuries, and that same reality could end up shaping his future again. Jennings has not had many chances to show much so far, which is exactly why training camp matters so much for him. If he can put together a strong stretch of practices, he can make a serious push to claim the RB3 job over the less experienced backs around him.
And if it is not the offense that gets him there, his blocking and special-teams work might. The third unit still has plenty of uncertainty, and there does not appear to be a legitimate returner in place yet. That opens the door for Jennings to carve out a role there, or even take on the kind of special-teams responsibility Marte Mapu had as a leading tackler before leaving for the Texans.
For Jennings, the opportunity is real. This could be his best - and maybe last - chance to earn a spot on the Patriots’ 53-man roster. If he can turn that chance into a role, New England could end up with a useful answer at running back depth and maybe on special teams too.
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Patriots Camp Battles Could Decide How Well Drake Maye Survives 2026
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