Mike Vrabel Must Follow Aaron Glenn's Example And Cut Fumble-Prone Rhamondre Stevenson
It might be time for the Patriots to make rookie TreVeyon Henderson their RB1
The New England Patriots have a running back problem.
To be fair, they have a lot of problems, most of which involve the offense. However, what is most noticeable is the running back room.
Head coach Mike Vrabel certainly has talented backs at his disposal. Rhamondre Stevenson, Antonio Gibson, and TreVeyon Henderson all have the skills you’d need to have a successful NFL backfield.
But it's the fumbles that are hamstringing this group's potential.
Stevenson is the biggest culprit. In 2024, he fumbled the ball seven – SEVEN – times, losing three. He was allowed to get significant playing time because former Patriots coach Jerod Mayo showed no signs of having a spine, opening the door for Stevenson to be on this year’s roster.
Through the first two weeks, he had avoided the fumble bug, but in Sunday's 21-14 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, he got the sickness again.
He fumbled twice, including on the goal line. It’s not like he got hit hard; he lost control of the ball with just the slightest bit of force applied to him.
Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin said that his team was specifically looking to exploit Stevenson's horrific fumbling problem.
Gibson wasn’t immune from the problem either. He contributed to the Patriots' ridiculous turnover total of five.
Vrabel wasn't committal to what he would do with Stevenson moving forward.
For a team trying to rebuild and become a serious competitor, you can’t have that. Stevenson is the most noticeable running back contributing to all the fumbles.
And that should cost him his job.
Vrabel needs to take a page out of Aaron Glenn’s book. Remember, the Jets coach cut Xavier Gipson for a costly fumble in Week 1 (ironically against the Steelers). Glenn said it wasn’t about the turnover, but that decision left a message: players who make crucial mistakes can’t be on the roster, much less the field.
The rookie Henderson, who has just 20 carries in his first three NFL games, needs the RB1 role. Gipson can be on the roster, but he has to protect the ball.
And Stevenson? He needs to start looking for a new team to play for. That’s a critical way Vrabel can hope to save the morale and future of his team.