Rhamondre Stevenson’s status is suddenly a major storyline for the Patriots, and the concern centers on a knee tendon issue, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The injury surfaced after Stevenson left New England’s Week 9 game against the Green Bay Packers in the third quarter, following a short reception and a tackle. Schefter also reported that surgery will not be needed, with Stevenson expected to work back through rest and rehabilitation.
That timetable could line up with a useful break for New England. After the Patriots travel to Munich, Germany, for their matchup with the Detroit Lions, they’ll head into their Week 11 bye. That gives Stevenson a window to recover without having to rush back.
Through nine games in 2026, Stevenson has been one of the Patriots’ most productive players. He has 102 carries for 399 yards and two touchdowns on the ground, plus 26 catches for 258 yards and two more scores as a receiver.
If Stevenson has to miss time, it would add another hit to an offense that has spent the season absorbing them. New England opened the year without top wide receiver A.J.
Brown, who suffered a high ankle sprain in the season opener and missed four games on injured reserve. Brown has also sat out two more games because of a knee flare-up connected to a reported degenerative knee condition.
Romeo Doubs is still on injured reserve as well after hurting his shoulder in Week 6 against the New York Jets, and he is expected to remain out until at least Week 12.
The problems haven’t stopped at the skill positions. Starting right guard Mike Onwenu is on injured reserve with an ankle injury, while left guard Alijah Vera-Tucker is also on injured reserve because of a hamstring injury. Backup guard Ben Brown was another casualty of the Packers game, leaving with a knee injury.
With the injuries stacking up, the Patriots are running thin on dependable answers. TreVeyon Henderson has missed the last two games because of illness and recently released a statement about his health, so New England has to be ready for the possibility that he won’t be available either.
That leaves Corey Kiner, Lan Larison, and Terrell Jennings as the next running back options. Kiner, acquired in an August trade with the Arizona Cardinals, has been the most productive of the group so far, posting 50 carries for 244 yards and one touchdown while averaging 4.9 yards per carry.
Larison, a 2025 undrafted free agent from UC Davis, has appeared in only three NFL games. Jennings, a 2024 UDFA, played in 10 games for New England during the 2024 and 2025 seasons, rushing 36 times for 106 yards and a score.
He was placed on injured reserve in August, later reached an injury settlement and was waived, then re-signed to the Patriots’ practice squad on Nov. 2.
In Other News...
Patriots Face A Trade Deadline Decision Fans Are Split On
The Patriots are heading into the NFL trade deadline with the kind of roster uncertainty that tends to sharpen every conversation around Foxborough. Recent moves have only added to the churn, with the team trimming the edges of the roster while analysts and reporters continue to break down film, injuries and the broader picture of where this group stands after a rocky stretch.
What makes the deadline so tricky is that New England has real short-term needs and no shortage of opinions about how aggressively it should address them. Injuries have thinned key spots, the recent performance has left fans split on whether to push chips in or stay patient, and the front office has to weigh immediate help against the longer view of a team still trying to find its footing. [Read more 🡒]
Patriots Trade Deadline Pressure Just Got Harder To Ignore
A lopsided loss to the Packers did more than dent the Patriots record. It sharpened the sense that this roster still needs help if it wants to look like a real threat, and the trade deadline is starting to feel less like a luxury and more like an obligation. New England has pieces worth building around, but the gap between where it is and where it wants to be was hard to miss in Green Bay.
The issues were not limited to one side of the ball, either. The defense had a rough day, and Christian Gonzalez was part of that struggle in a game where the Patriots needed steadiness and got too much inconsistency instead. Mike Vrabel still has time to clean things up, but if the front office is serious about accelerating the turnaround, it may have to find a way to add real impact help before the deadline passes. [Read more 🡒]
Brady And Gronk Gave Patriots Fans A Painful Reminder Of Better Days
Rob Gronkowskis pregame trip back into the Patriots orbit before the game against the Green Bay Packers came with all the nostalgia youd expect. Honored before kickoff, Gronk spent time with Tom Brady and Julian Edelman, a reunion that instantly pulled fans back to the franchises championship era and reminded everyone what New England looked like when its biggest names were still in the building.
For a team trying to steady itself through injuries to players including TreVeyon Henderson and AJ Brown, the contrast was hard to miss. Mike Vrabel has already been fielding questions about the state of the locker room, so even a brief pregame scene like this carried extra weight, especially with Bradys lighthearted aside adding to the old-days feel. For Patriots fans, it was a warm look backward at a time when the present has offered far less comfort. [Read more 🡒]