Patriots’ RB Grateful for Team’s Support Following Father’s Passing; Ready for Football Now

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Douglas Santo | Last updated Jun 3, 2025 1:15 PM ET

Patriots' running back Rhamondre Stevenson missed part of New England's voluntary activities earlier this summer because he was dealing with a family matter. Stevenson's father passed away in March, and the running back was spending time with his family.

However, the Patriots' coaching staff made sure Stevenson felt supported during his time away.

"It meant a lot. Just the whole coaching staff, them being new, and still just having my back. Just checking in on me ... so all of that means a lot to me. It meant a lot to my family, and I love it."

New running backs' coach Tony Dews even came out to Vegas for a bit to visit Stevenson and show his support.

Amid the tragedy of a lost family member, Stevenson returned to the practice field on Tuesday. Getting back into football is helping take his mind off personal matters.

"It felt great, just being in the huddle with the guys, and just being back in the building and going through meetings - in the weight room," Stevenson said. "It's great to be around them, they kind of get my mind off things, and get me focused on football. So, yeah I love being around."

RB Rhamondre Stevenson working with new RBs Coach Tony Dews Monday at #Patriots OTAs - @wbz pic.twitter.com/kK7Refi9cI
— Dan Roche (@RochieWBZ) June 2, 2025

On his first day back on the field, Stevenson got right into the action, catching a deep wheel route down the left sideline.

"It was a man alert. I knew I had to win, and my guy Drake threw it up to me," Stevenson said. "It's like the first ball of this whole OTAs, so I'm glad I caught it honestly."

For many players, with the new coaching staff in New England, learning the playbook is the biggest task in OTAs. However, Stevenson has a leg up in that department.

Stevenson was on the Patriots in McDaniels' second stint with the team, and is familiar with the playbook.

"I'd say I'm very comfortable," Stevenson said. "Josh and Bill Belichick yelled at me a lot my rookie year for the same playbook, so I kind of got it drilled into me."

As Stevenson gets settled into OTAs, it's no secret what he's working on this offseason.

The running back fumbled seven times in 2024 and was benched for part of the season because of it.

"Biggest thing is ball security. I feel like that's the obvious answer to everybody here," Stevenson said.

The Patriots also drafted TreVeyon Henderson in the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft. Stevenson described Henderson as "explosive" and said he's excited for the young back to learn.

The two will likely split time in the backfield in 2025, but Stevenson will need to clean up his ball security if he wants to remain the lead back for the Patriots going forward.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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