Patriots' Embattled Weapon Receives Latest Warning

The New England Patriots decided to address their backfield in the NFL Draft, selecting TreVeyon Henderson in the second round. Henderson has a great chance of winning the starting job at some point in 2025, and that's largely thanks to the struggling pieces around him.

The face of those struggles is Rhamondre Stevenson, who is recovering from a rough 2024 campaign in which he rushed for 801 yards and seven touchdowns while averaging 3.9 yards per carry. On top of his inefficiency, he fumbled seven times. Not exactly his Mona Lisa.

As a result, Stevenson has been viewed as a potential trade candidate for the Patriots, but that's going to be a difficult feat given the four-year, $36 million contract extension New England handed him last offseason.

On that note, Bleacher Report's Gary Davenport has named Stevenson the most overpaid running back in the league.

"It's not easy to make big bucks in the backfield in today's NFL. There are only seven running backs in the league with an average annual salary of $10 million or more—and those backs all have resumes with multiple seasons of high-end production," Davenport wrote. "Rhamondre Stevenson of the New England Patriots isn’t quite making $10 million a season. But he still got a four-year, $36 million extension last year. The question is why."

Stevenson did put together a terrific 2022 campaign in which he racked up 1,040 yards and five scores on five yards per attempt, but the Pats gave him that new deal after he totaled 619 yards and four touchdowns on four yards per tote in 2023. Not their best move.

"The 2021 fourth-rounder was already benched for a time a year ago, and the Patriots drafted Ohio State's TreVeyon Henderson in the second round of this year's draft. If Stevenson struggles again this season, the 2025 campaign will likely be his last in Foxborough," Davenport concluded.

That seems like a pretty fair prediction. It's definitely time for Stevenson to earn his keep, or else he will probably be on the chopping block. The problem is there isn't an out in his contract until after 2026.