Heading into the 2025 season, Patriots coach Mike Vrabel tried to deflect some of the blame for the immense fumbling problem that running back Rhamondre Stevenson showed last season, when he put the ball on the ground a league-high seven times. Some of the problem, Vrabel indicated was not Stevenson, but was the inability of the team’s blockers to keep blind-side tacklers off of Stevenson.
Stevenson, Vrabel said, would be given a “clean slate.”
Perhaps Vrabel was just trying to bolster the confidence of a player who has obvious talent, but whose fumbling flaw outweighs his positives. Either way, Vrabel could not much conceal the issue on Sunday in Week 3 against the Steelers, as Stevenson lost two fumbles in a 21-14 Patriots loss that was marred by a whopping five New England turnovers, including four fumbles.
It might seem harsh to project that the Patriots would consider cutting Stevenson. But as he said after the game, “If I don’t hold onto the ball, they don’t need me.”
Rhamondre Stevenson ‘Absolutely’ Needed
After the game, it was fair to wonder how the Patriots could proceed with Stevenson. He did have the critical 55-yard first-down catch to help New England get the win over Miami last week. But, no matter his talent, he appears to be a veteran this team just can’t trust. It would be costly to cut him–about a $12 million dead-cap hit–but maybe more costly to keep playing him.
Vrabel did not sound 100% sure about the next move with Stevenson, but he did surprisingly indicate that the Patriots intend to keep him:
“It’s like, you sit there and we’re so excited about him and everybody is so excited about him, fans are, we know what his capabilities are. And we’ve got to get him back. We need him. We absolutely need him. You see what he was able to do for us last week, his ability to make some plays. We’ll have to look at the technique, we’ll have to look at the ball security. But we’re gonna need him. We need his ability, but we also need to take care of the football.
“That’s a long answer to tell you that I am not really sure 20 minutes after the game what we’re gonna do. But we need him. He helped us win the game last week but today was a different story.”
Rhamondre Stevenson Fumbled on Both Patriots Opening Drives
Stevenson’s first fumble came on the opening drive of the game, which allowed Pittsburgh to start its first drive on its own 46-yard line. That drive went for a touchdown.
Stevenson then went for a second fumble on the Patriots‘ first drive of the second half, with the Patriots operating on a second-and-1 from the Steelers‘ 2-yard line. He appeared to be diving in for a score, but lost the handle and Pittsburgh recovered in the end zone, wasting a near touchdown.
How Did the Patriots Get So Many Turnovers?
It wasn’t all Stevenson’s fault, of course. The Patriots had five turnovers on the day and somehow still had a chance to win the game.
But Drake Maye threw an interception in the end zone to complete a 17-play, 92-yard drive to the Steelers‘ 2-yard line at the end of the first half. Backup running back Antonio Gibson also fumbled in the second half, on a hit and a recovery by ex-Patriots safety Jabrill Peppers.
Maye himself fumbled when he was sacked and stripped by Nick Herbig as the Patriots were seeking to take the lead in the fourth quarter. That set up the Steelers, instead, for the game-winning touchdown and the final 21-14 margin.
Will the Patriots Cut Rhamondre Stevenson After Week 3 Fumbles?