The Patriots’ offense just lost another piece, and this one matters in a different way.
TreVeyon Henderson’s high ankle sprain leaves New England with a backfield that was already running thin, and the ripple effects go beyond the running back room. The Patriots have spent much of 2026 juggling injuries all over the roster, with A.J.
Brown, Mike Onwenu, Greg Van Roten and Dell Pettus already on IR. Before the season even kicked off, Marcus Bryant, Khalil Jacobs and Bryce Baringer were also shelved.
Harold Landry opened on PUP, Brenden Schooler started on NFI, and last week both Reggie Gilliam and Mack Hollins landed on IR. Dre’Mont Jones has also missed time, and Will Campbell was ruled out on Sunday.
Henderson’s injury may be the one that forces the clearest adjustment. His replacement, Corey Kiner, coughed up the ball, and with Campbell likely out against the Jets plus Gilliam set to miss at least the next three games, the Patriots’ margin for error in the run game has shrunk even more.
Sunday offered a reminder of how New England wants to operate when it can dictate terms. The Patriots leaned into the passing game, and Drake Maye delivered what might have been the best performance of his career: 399 yards, five touchdowns, and a designed run for his final score. That kind of production can carry a team for stretches, but it doesn’t erase the need for a functional ground game.
The line has already been in flux. New England moved Onwenu out for Van Roten before Onwenu was placed on IR, and Walter Rouse - acquired during roster cutdowns - finished the game at right guard.
Still, Ben Brown has started the last two games, and there’s no reason to expect that to change. At left tackle, Caleb Lomu filled in for Campbell and allowed one pressure on 29 pass-blocking snaps.
Gilliam’s absence also changes the look of the offense. UDFA Tanner Arkin handled his lead-blocking role, matching his Week 3 total with 15 offensive snaps, six of them in the backfield. In effect, the rookie has taken on Jack Westover’s old hybrid job.
If the Patriots can keep that group steady, there’s at least a path to usable production from the backs. Kiner’s fumble stands out, but his day wasn’t all bad: six carries, 52 yards.
The Raiders entered the game ranked 27th against the run, so the 8.7 yards per carry should be taken with some caution. Even if you strip out his 32-yard burst, he still finished at a respectable 4.0 average.
For now, Rhamondre Stevenson is the most obvious answer to Henderson’s snaps and carries, and Kiner looks like a 4-6 carry player until Henderson comes back. Drake Maye’s designed goal-line run could also become a more regular part of the offense if New England needs a jolt.
The Patriots have already shown one contingency plan this year. When Henderson missed Week 1, they turned to practice squad back Lan Larison, who played just three offensive snaps and six on special teams, but still caught two passes, returned two kicks, and gained nine yards on those receptions.
There’s also Jamaal Williams, who worked out for the team after the Bills game. He hasn’t logged a carry since January 2025, when he went for eight carries and 15 yards against the Buccaneers with the Saints.
His two years in New Orleans were quiet - under 3.2 yards per carry and only two touchdowns - but 2022 with the Lions was a different story. That season he topped 1,000 yards for the first time, set a franchise record with 17 rushing touchdowns and averaged 4.1 yards per carry.
At 31, Williams wouldn’t change the whole picture. He’d be more of a depth piece, a body to help spell Stevenson, which is exactly why he makes some sense for a team as inexperienced and thin at running back as New England. Between Kiner and Larison, the Patriots currently have just 70 career offensive snaps in-house.
However they do it - by tweaking the scheme, leaning harder on the players already there, or adding Williams - the Patriots have to keep the run game afloat while Henderson recovers over the next month or so.
In Other News...
Patriots Offensive Line Is Giving Drake Maye A Reason For Concern
Former Patriots lineman Matt Light has had a familiar view of New Englands offensive front, and he did not dismiss the criticism that has followed the group early in the season. The line has been forced to work through injuries, with left tackle Will Campbell and right guard Mike Onwenu both affected, and the biggest issues have shown up in the run game. Even so, Light noted the unit still has enough talent to keep Drake Maye upright long enough for the offense to function.
Josh McDaniels has helped mask some of those problems with a scheme that keeps the attack moving, but the concern is how much strain the line can continue to absorb. The Patriots need stability up front not just for Mayes comfort in the pocket, but for an offense that has been able to stay productive without looking fully settled. With the middle of the line banged up and the blocking not yet consistent, the next stretch will say a lot about how real the improvement is. [Read more 🡒]
Patriots May Have One Deadline Fix For A Growing Pass Rush Problem
The Patriots pass rush has become a more urgent conversation as the trade deadline approaches, especially with the group still waiting on a clearer answer from Harold Landry. New England has some younger options worth watching, including Gabe Jacas and Elijah Ponder, but the idea of leaning on development alone is harder to sell when the need is immediate and the season is already taking shape.
That is why the teams search could extend beyond its own depth chart and into the veteran market, where a proven edge presence would make sense for a defense trying to keep pressure off the back end. The timing is delicate, though, because the longer Landry remains unavailable, the more this looks like a problem the Patriots may need to solve before the deadline rather than hope will fix itself later. [Read more 🡒]
Patriots Get Encouraging Will Campbell News At A Crucial Time
Will Campbells knee injury could have put the Patriots in a far tougher spot, but the early signs have been more encouraging than the on-field reaction suggested. The rookie left tackle left Sundays game looking like a player who might be headed for a lengthy absence, only for the team to learn it was a knee sprain rather than something more serious, and he was back on the practice field in a limited role by Wednesday.
For New England, the timing matters as much as the diagnosis. The Patriots do have other options if Campbell cant go in the next stretch, but his availability still hangs over a position that can quickly affect everything else on offense. Campbell has sounded upbeat about where things stand, yet his status for upcoming games remains unsettled, which leaves the team waiting on one of its more important young pieces. [Read more 🡒]