The New England Patriots held their final practice in Foxborough Monday morning before they flew cross-country to Seattle where they will face the Seahawks in a Wednesday night showcase to open the 2026 NFL season.
The game will be nationally televised by NBC, and will also serve as a significant test for the 2026 edition of the Patriots, who lost a lackluster 29-13 decision to Seattle in last season’s Super Bowl.
Before the team boarded their plane for the Pacific Northwest, coach Mike Vrabel gave the latest update on one of the Patriots’ most important offensive players.
Speaking to reporters Monday, the Patriots coach admitted he still doesn’t know whether second-year running back TreVeyon Henderson will practice, let alone play Wednesday.
“We’ll see how he feels today. We’ll see if he can do anything. He’s working extremely hard to come back,” Vrabel said Monday, according to ESPN‘s Mike Reiss.
Henderson has not practiced since Aug. 24, when he slipped on the grass during a full-pads practice on New England’s lower grass fields and appeared to roll his right ankle. He walked off under his own power, and the team said the injury wasn’t tied to field conditions.
The absence stretched into Sunday, when Henderson was again listed as a non-participant on New England’s official injury report because of the ankle. He has not been ruled out, and status designations typically post Tuesday. That’s new territory for a back who never missed a game as a rookie.
TreVeyon Henderson’s Injury History and NFL Rise
Last season was Henderson’s rookie campaign in the NFL, and he didn’t miss a game because of injury despite a scare in Week 16. He left a Dec. 21 win at Baltimore after his head struck the turf on a tackle by Ravens safety Alohi Gilman, and Vrabel later confirmed the diagnosis was a concussion.
Henderson still finished the season, and the playoffs, without sitting out a single game. A subsequent missed practice in January drew attention, but Vrabel said at the time it stemmed from a personal matter, not an injury.
At Ohio State, ankle and foot injuries cut into Henderson’s availability in 2022 and 2023. He returned for a full senior season and helped the Buckeyes win the 2024 College Football Playoff national championship as a team captain.
New England drafted Henderson 38th overall in 2025, two picks after his Ohio State teammate Quinshon Judkins came off the board. His rookie contract was fully guaranteed at $11.143 million over four years. Henderson rushed for 911 yards and nine touchdowns on 180 carries as a rookie, adding 221 receiving yards, and became the first Patriot with four 50-yard runs or touchdowns in a single season.
Patriots Running Back Depth if TreVeyon Henderson Sits
Rhamondre Stevenson still reigns as New England’s clear lead back, and Vrabel has already explained why he trusts him there.
“I love the way that Rhamondre protects,” Vrabel said. “If you have backs that can pick up pressure, it’s one thing to be able to get over there and know where the pressure is coming from. It’s another to go block them,” as quoted by ESPN‘s Mike Reiss.
Behind Stevenson, the depth thins out fast. Corey Kiner, acquired in a trade from Arizona on Aug. 28, is the only other running back on New England’s 53-man roster. If Kiner needs relief too, Reiss has reported the Patriots would likely elevate Lan Larison or Hassan Haskins off the practice squad, with Haskins carrying more regular-season experience from his time under Vrabel in Tennessee.
Fullback Reggie Gilliam remains part of the mix but recorded only two rushing attempts for the Buffalo Bills last season. Whatever combination New England uses in Henderson’s place, the offense loses his explosiveness. Stevenson and Henderson combined for 83.5 percent of the team’s carries a year ago, and no other back on the roster has shown the same burst.
“Guys have different strengths,” Vrabel said on Sunday. “There’s a little bit of everything, and we’ll see who we end up using for the game.”
Patriots Mike Vrabel Gives TreVeyon Henderson Injury Update Before NFL Opener