Henderson projects as a home-run hitter in New England’s offense, but he only has one play of 15-plus yards so far this season.
TreVeyon Henderson has struggled so far in 2026. (AP Photo/David Banks)
October 23, 2026 | 4:16 PM
4 minutes to read
COMMENTARY
There was plenty of optimism rooted in the impact that A.J. Brown would have on New England’s offense in 2026.
But the Patriots were also banking on internal growth further elevating an explosive offensive unit this fall.
Much of that optimism may have stemmed from Drake Maye’s continued development.
But second-year running back TreVeyon Henderson also had plenty of room to grow after emerging as a dynamic home-run hitter in the backfield in 2025.
Henderson’s straight-line speed is a game-changer when he has open field in front of him, and his collegiate profile as an elite pass blocker and reliable receiving threat had him poised to be a useful weapon for Maye after the Patriots selected him with the 38th pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
But that second-year leap hasn’t materialized yet for Henderson, with the 24-year-old not exactly factoring into New England’s game plan during Thursday’s 30-24 loss to the Bears.
The Patriots logged a season-low 54 offensive snaps against Chicago at Soldier Field — a byproduct of New England’s defense struggling to get Caleb Williams and Co. off the gridiron.
But New England also struggled at times to sustain drives, especially when its rushing attack couldn’t get Maye into manageable yardage on third down — leading to several blitz-heavy packages from the Bears when the Patriots QB dropped back.
While Rhamondre Stevenson did dole out some damage with a 48-yard touchdown on a simple checkdown from Maye at the end of the first half, New England gained only 70 total yards on the ground Thursday.
“Offensive productivity is we didn’t run the ball well enough, but we moved it however we needed to move it, which sometimes you’re going to have days like that,” Mike Vrabel said of New England’s rushing game. “I thought we’d be able to run it a little better than we did it. But then our best player is putting the ball in good spots most of the time and making good decisions. So, that’s how it goes. You’d like to move the ball a little better, but [it] didn’t happen.”
Henderson was largely an afterthought in Josh McDaniels’ approach, logging only 13 total snaps in the loss. He gained only nine yards on three carries and caught two passes for 14 yards.
As tantalizing as Henderson’s speed and athleticism are, he’s been far too boom-or-bust with his carries since arriving in New England, especially this season.
While the Patriots might have some appetite for Henderson serving as their Kyle Schwarber — a potent power hitter with a high strikeout rate — their second-year running back is looking more like Wily Mo Peña at this stage of his career.
Yes, Henderson can lean into a moonshot or two with a 50-plus yard score. But his snaps are far too often negated with major whiffs due to poor vision and marginal gains on the ground.
As Doug Kyed of the Boston Herald noted, Henderson left a lot to be desired on a first-quarter run where the sea seemingly parted between Jared Wilson and Walter Rouse — giving him a clear gap to burst through for a major gain.
Instead, Henderson ran through the gap and spun right into a Bears defender, resulting in just a five-yard pickup. He didn’t get another snap until 7:36 left in the third quarter.
This TreVeyon Henderson carry came with 9:12 left in the first quarter.
He didn’t touch the ball again until there was 7:36 left in the third quarter. pic.twitter.com/UTywKRk7sT
— Doug Kyed (@DougKyed) October 23, 2026
Beyond a 39-yard touchdown run in Week 2 against the Steelers, Henderson hasn’t done much damage this season — that big gain against Pittsburgh is his only play for more than 15 yards all season.
Over six games, Henderson has recorded 203 yards on 52 carries. If you remove that 39-yard TD, he’s only averaging 3.2 rushing yards per attempt (164 yards on 51 carries).
Patriots great Troy Brown quickly noted Henderson’s struggles with vision and impatience after Thursday’s loss.
“He needs to sit down and watch Kenneth Walker, he really does,” Brown said of Henderson on the Patriots.com postgame show. “I said it a few weeks ago, just show him tape of guys who are patient and teams that run those duo plays that they have him run a lot and just have the patience to be able to let the blocks develop and then make those defensive lineman stick their head either in the A-gap or B-gap or whatever it is and you go the opposite way. He’s just too fast and he reacts to things too fast.”
#Patriots HOF Troy Brown postgame on TreVeyon Henderson after Week 7:
“I kind of agree with the Henderson take. He needs to sit down and watch Kenneth Walker, he really does. I said it a few weeks ago, just show him tape of guys who are patient and teams that run those duo plays… pic.twitter.com/AxoZ1jy20M
— Justin Trombino (@Trombino20) October 23, 2026
To make matters worse, Henderson’s projected strength as an elite pass-blocker hasn’t translate to the NFL ranks. PFF tabbed Henderson with a brutal 16.4 pass-blocking grade against the Bears, with Henderson unable to pick up a Chicago blitz in the fourth quarter that swarmed Maye and forced a back-breaking punt in crunch time.
A banged-up Patriots offense should keep improving as the 2026 season goes on, especially if New England adds reinforcements after a brutal string of injuries.
But New England desperately needs more in the run game moving forward, especially from a player teeming with talent like Henderson.
So far, the gifted running back has been ice-cold in 2026.
Conor Ryan is a staff writer covering the Bruins, Celtics, Patriots, and Red Sox for Boston.com, a role he has held since 2023.
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