Patriots’ Running Back Room Running on Fumes as Playoffs Loom - Elijah Mitchell Joins the Mix
The New England Patriots are heading into the final stretch of the regular season with a running back room that’s been stretched to its absolute limit. Injuries have been a recurring theme throughout the year, but after a bruising Week 16 loss to the Ravens, the situation has officially reached crisis mode.
The biggest blow? Rookie standout TreVeyon Henderson exited the game with a head injury and was later ruled out due to a concussion.
That puts his status for Week 17 - and potentially beyond - in serious doubt. Henderson now enters the NFL’s five-step concussion protocol, and there’s no guarantee he’ll be cleared in time for Sunday’s matchup against the Jets.
With the playoffs fast approaching and the depth chart paper-thin, the Patriots made a move to stabilize things, signing Elijah Mitchell off the Kansas City Chiefs' practice squad. It’s a move born out of necessity - and urgency.
Mitchell Joins a Battered Backfield
Mitchell’s journey back to an active NFL roster has been anything but smooth. After flashing promise with the 49ers in 2021, injuries derailed his momentum, including a hamstring issue that landed him on season-ending IR. He signed a one-year deal with Kansas City ahead of the 2025 season but saw action in just one game before being released on December 20.
Now, Mitchell finds himself in Foxborough with a real shot at seeing the field immediately. If Henderson doesn’t clear protocol, the Patriots may have no choice but to activate Mitchell for Sunday. That would leave Rhamondre Stevenson as the lead back, with Mitchell and D’Ernest Johnson likely rotating in behind him.
A Season-Long Search for Stability
It’s been a revolving door in the Patriots’ backfield ever since Antonio Gibson tore his ACL in Week 5 against Buffalo. Since then, New England has been on a relentless search for reinforcements - and the list of names tells the story.
Veteran Craig Reynolds was added to the practice squad but quickly landed on the reserve list with an undisclosed injury. Jonathon Ward, Jashaun Corbin, Rushawn Baker, D’Ernest Johnson, and Terrell Jennings have all been signed at various points in the season. Jennings even earned a spot on the 53-man roster before injuries sidelined him too.
At this point, Stevenson and Johnson are the only healthy running backs on the active roster. And while Stevenson has proven he can carry the load, asking him to shoulder the entire ground game heading into the postseason is a risky proposition.
What the Patriots Need Most: Health
The Patriots are still in the playoff hunt, but their margin for error is razor-thin. With Henderson’s availability up in the air, the team has to be smart about how they manage their backfield over the final two weeks.
Resting Henderson until the postseason could be the prudent move - not just for his health, but for the team’s long-term success. And while Mitchell may not be a game-changer at this stage, giving him a role now could help preserve Stevenson and give the offense just enough juice to keep moving the chains.
One thing’s clear: if the Patriots are going to make any noise in January, they’ll need bodies - and they’ll need them healthy. The addition of Mitchell is less about upside and more about survival. But in a season where nothing has come easy for New England’s running backs, just having another set of fresh legs might be enough to get them across the finish line.