{"id":1035300,"date":"2026-10-23T23:03:43","date_gmt":"2026-10-23T23:03:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/1035300\/"},"modified":"2026-10-23T23:03:43","modified_gmt":"2026-10-23T23:03:43","slug":"do-the-patriots-have-a-treveyon-henderson-problem","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/1035300\/","title":{"rendered":"Do the Patriots have a TreVeyon Henderson problem?"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tNew England Patriots\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\tHenderson 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.<\/p>\n

\"New
\n\tTreVeyon Henderson has struggled so far in 2026. (AP Photo\/David Banks)\t<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tBy Conor Ryan<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tOctober 23, 2026 | 4:16 PM\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

4 minutes to read<\/p>\n

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COMMENTARY<\/p>\n

There was plenty of optimism rooted in the impact that A.J. Brown would have on New England\u2019s offense in 2026.<\/p>\n

But the Patriots were also banking on internal growth further elevating an explosive offensive unit this fall.<\/p>\n

Much of that optimism may have stemmed from Drake Maye\u2019s continued development.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Henderson\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

But that second-year leap hasn\u2019t materialized yet for Henderson, with the 24-year-old not exactly factoring into New England\u2019s game plan during Thursday\u2019s 30-24 loss to the Bears.\u200b<\/a><\/p>\n

The Patriots logged a season-low 54 offensive snaps against Chicago at Soldier Field \u2014 a byproduct of New England\u2019s defense struggling to get Caleb Williams and Co. off the gridiron.<\/p>\n

But New England also struggled at times to sustain drives, especially when its rushing attack couldn\u2019t get Maye into manageable yardage on third down \u2014 leading to several blitz-heavy packages from the Bears when the Patriots QB dropped back.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

\u201cOffensive productivity is we didn\u2019t run the ball well enough, but we moved it however we needed to move it, which sometimes you\u2019re going to have days like that,\u201d Mike Vrabel said of New England\u2019s rushing game. \u201cI thought we\u2019d 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\u2019s how it goes. You\u2019d like to move the ball a little better, but [it] didn\u2019t happen.\u201d<\/p>\n

Henderson was largely an afterthought in Josh McDaniels\u2019 approach, logging only 13 total snaps in the loss. He gained only nine yards on three carries and caught two passes for 14 yards.<\/p>\n

As tantalizing as Henderson\u2019s speed and athleticism are, he\u2019s been far too boom-or-bust with his carries since arriving in New England, especially this season.<\/p>\n

While the Patriots might have some appetite for Henderson serving as their Kyle Schwarber \u2014 a potent power hitter with a high strikeout rate \u2014 their second-year running back is looking more like Wily Mo Pe\u00f1a at this stage of his career.<\/p>\n

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. \u200b<\/p>\n

As Doug Kyed of the Boston Herald noted<\/a>, Henderson left a lot to be desired on a first-quarter run where the sea seemingly parted between Jared Wilson and Walter Rouse \u2014 giving him a clear gap to burst through for a major gain.<\/p>\n

Instead, Henderson ran through the gap and spun right into a Bears defender, resulting in just a five-yard pickup. He didn\u2019t get another snap until 7:36 left in the third quarter.<\/p>\n

This TreVeyon Henderson carry came with 9:12 left in the first quarter.<\/p>\n

He didn’t touch the ball again until there was 7:36 left in the third quarter. pic.twitter.com\/UTywKRk7sT<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Doug Kyed (@DougKyed) October 23, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

Beyond a 39-yard touchdown run in Week 2 against the Steelers, Henderson hasn\u2019t done much damage this season \u2014 that big gain against Pittsburgh is his only play for more than 15 yards all season.<\/p>\n

Over six games, Henderson has recorded 203 yards on 52 carries. If you remove that 39-yard TD, he\u2019s only averaging 3.2 rushing yards per attempt (164 yards on 51 carries).<\/p>\n

Patriots great Troy Brown quickly noted Henderson\u2019s struggles with vision and impatience after Thursday\u2019s loss.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe needs to sit down and watch Kenneth Walker, he really does,\u201d Brown said of Henderson on the Patriots.com<\/a> postgame show. \u201cI 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\u2019s just too fast and he reacts to things too fast.\u201d<\/p>\n

#Patriots<\/a> HOF Troy Brown postgame on TreVeyon Henderson after Week 7:<\/p>\n

\u201cI 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\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/AxoZ1jy20M<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Justin Trombino (@Trombino20) October 23, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

\u200bTo make matters worse, Henderson\u2019s projected strength as an elite pass-blocker hasn\u2019t translate to the NFL ranks. PFF tabbed Henderson with a brutal 16.4 pass-blocking grade<\/a> 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. \u200b<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

But New England desperately needs more in the run game moving forward, especially from a player teeming with talent like Henderson.<\/p>\n

\u200bSo far, the gifted running back has been ice-cold in 2026.<\/p>\n

\t\t\"Profile\t<\/p>\n

Conor Ryan is a staff writer covering the Bruins, Celtics, Patriots, and Red Sox for Boston.com, a role he has held since 2023.<\/p>\n

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