Patriots offense dealt fresh TreVeyon Henderson injury blow with AJ Brown nearing return
A Patriots weapon is set to miss time, just as another is nearing a return.Standout second-year running back TreVeyon Henderson reinjured the same ankle that he hurt in training camp and is expected to miss multiple weeks, per ESPN, though it is not expected to require surgeryTests on Monday have revealed that he suffered a high-ankle sprain during the Patriots’ dominant 45-17 win over the Raiders, and he did not return to action.Henderson ended Sunday’s game with 22 yards on four carries before the injury cut short his day.With Henderson sidelined in New England, Rhamondre Stevenson will take over full workhorse duties as their running back, with not much behind him on the depth chart.Expect the Patriots to scour the practice squad market and free agency to find someone to back Stevenson up, as Corey Ciner is the only other healthy running back on the roster.Henderson burst onto the scene last year as a rookie, posting monster numbers in limited action as Stevenson remained the starter for head coach Mike Vrabel.The Ohio State product averaged 5.1 yards per carry as a rookie, the fifth-best figure in the entire league among running backs, ahead of the likes of Jahmyr Gibbs and Jonathan Taylor.Things have taken a downturn in year two.
He missed the first game of the season tending to that same ankle injury he suffered in August.Henderson is averaging just 3.9 yards per carry this season, and while Stevenson hasn’t been much better (4.0 yards per carry) he does appear to have Vrabel’s trust in the passing game. Stevenson is the primary pass blocker for New England as Henderson has seemingly struggled in that capacity.The Henderson news comes after Vrabel said Monday that there was a chance AJ.Brown returns for Sunday’s game against the Jets.Brown has been out since suffering his own ankle injury in Week 1 against the Seahawks.
The Patriots also signed Romeo Doubs in free agency, but he’s been mostly lackluster since joining the team. Doubs had just o...