After getting the best of the Los Angeles Chargers during Wild Card Weekend, the New England Patriots are moving on to the Divisional Round to play host to C.J. Stroud and the stout defense of the Houston Texans.
Although the Patriots struggled at times against the Chargers, New England was clearly the better team and has now inched closer to making it to the Super Bowl, with only two more wins needed to punch their ticket to Santa Clara, California, on February 8 at Levi’s Stadium.
TreVeyon Henderson Named as Finalist for Elite NFL Honor
GettyTreveyon Henderson #32 of the New England Patriots
On Tuesday, the nominees for the 2025 Pepsi Zero Sugar Rookie of the Year were announced, with Patriots having rising star running back TreVeyon Henderson in the running, along with Tyler Shough (New Orleans Saints), Jaxson Dart (New York Giants), Ashton Jeanty (Las Vegas Raiders), Tetairoa McMillan (Carolina Panthers) and Carson Schwesinger (Cleveland Browns), via NFL’s X account.
Vote now at t.co/aSx1vIAlIh
Henderson has some stiff competition against these five other rookies, who clearly made an impression during their first season in the NFL.
As of right now, McMillan is the favorite to win the award after his breakout season with the Panthers, which carried over into the NFL playoffs, where he made an impact in the loss to the Los Angeles Rams, catching five passes for 81 receiving yards.
However, Henderson does have a shot to win the regular-season award, as he put up some solid numbers across the board during his first season with the Patriots. He racked up 1,132 yards from scrimmage and 10 total touchdowns, becoming one of the best offensive threats on the field for New England, along with star quarterback Drake Maye, who is in the running for NFL MVP.
Drake Maye Snubbed for First-Team All-Pro Selection
GettyDrake Maye #10 of the New England Patriots
Despite having an incredible sophomore season with the Patriots, which has put in in a two-man race for the NFL MVP along with Los Angeles Rams star quarterback Matthew Stafford, Maye fell short of being named a First-Team All-Pro.
Instead, Stafford got the nod, according to Rob Maaddi of The Associated Press.
First team
Offense Quarterback — Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams Running Back — Bijan Robinson, Atlanta Fullback — Kyle Juszczyk, San Francisco Wide Receivers — Puka Nacua, Los
Although Maye didn’t get First-Team All-Pro honors, he did make the Second-Team, along with teammate and punt returner Marcus Jones.
Even though he was unable to beat out Stafford for this distinction, which might be a sign of what’s to come with the NFL MVP award, Maye’s second season with the Patriots has been nothing short of spectacular, as he has far exceeded expectations and has a legitimate shot of winning his first Super Bowl if New England can keep firing on all cylinders during the postseason.
In 17 regular-season games, Maye threw for 4,394 yards, 31 touchdowns and eight interceptions with a completion percentage of 72. He also rushed for 450 yards and four touchdowns on 103 carries, making him a dual threat during his sophomore campaign.
In his first playoff game, the 23-year-old quarterback threw for 268 yards, one touchdown and one interception to go along with 66 rushing yards on 10 carries, helping lead the Patriots to a win over the Chargers.
Patriots’ TreVeyon Henderson News Turns Heads Before Texans Clash