FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — New England Patriots running back Rhamondre Stevenson is adding some light to the darkened skies over Gillette Stadium.
Despite the dismal weather conditions throughout the region on Thursday, the mood of the Pats locker room was enlivened a bit by Stevenson’s presence at day three of OTAs. The 27-year-old, whose return was first reported by ESPN’s Mike Reiss, had not been in attendance for either of New England’s first two sessions held on Monday and Tuesday respectively.
Stevenson had been absent for much of the team’s offseason workout program due to the passing of his father Robert in March at age 54. Stevenson had also been grieving the loss of his childhood friend Brandan Harley during the latter half of 2024.
Given the presence of veteran Antonio Gibson, and explosive second-round draft choice TreVeyon Henderson, some have speculated whether Stevenson’s role could be reduced in the coming season. Yet, Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel has routinely indicated that he expects the Oklahoma product to be a significant contributor to the team’s offense this season.
“He’s going to be a large part of what we do, and we’ll just have to determine where he’s at when he’s back here,” Vrabel told reporters on Tuesday at Gillette Stadium. “I’ve been in constant communication with him … most recently via telephone. Obviously, our thoughts and prayers are with him and his family as they heal and they grieve. I want to be a part of that to help them.”
Known for his penchant for establishing the run to facilitate play action passes, Stevenson is well-equipped to be a strong fit within the offensive system run by coordinator Josh McDaniels. He is at his best when blending his physical, powerful running style with his vision and athleticism to make tacklers miss in short-yardage situational runs. He also demonstrates an uncanny knack for utilizing the open field as an available target from both the backfield, as well as the line of scrimmage.
In addition to Gibson and Henderson, Stevenson is joined by newly-signed Trayvon Williams, veteran Terrell Jennings and undrafted rookie Lan Larison on the Patriots running back depth chart.
