The New England Patriots are approaching Week 1 of the 2026-27 NFL season against the Seattle Seahawks, with Drake Maye having already dismissed the Super Bowl revenge narrative. However, concerns remain about running back TreVeyon Henderson‘s availability for the matchup, though the Patriots have an emergency plan in place.
According to ESPN’s Mike Reiss, the Patriots already have a clear picture of their replacements. “Henderson (ankle) is not present in the portion of Sunday’s practice open to the media. He hasn’t practiced since Aug. 24. If he is unavailable, Lan Larison and/or Hassan Haskins would likely be elevated from the practice squad to join Rhamondre Stevenson and Corey Kiner.“
On Saturday, head coach Mike Vrabel hinted that Henderson could return to practice, but that never came to fruition, and the same was true on Sunday. The Patriots will release their first injury report of the season later in the day, but for now, Henderson’s Week 1 status continues to be in doubt.
Stevenson’s opportunity
Stevenson would have been the clear-cut starter regardless, just as he was last NFL season when he played 46 snaps in the opener to Henderson’s 25. Stevenson said he came out of training camp feeling great physically. His knack for blitz pickup has earned him the highest degree of confidence from the coaching staff, with coach Mike Vrabel saying Saturday that “the way he finished last year was exciting.”
TreVeyon Henderson #32 of the New England Patriots
“I love the way that Rhamondre protects,” Vrabel said early in training camp. “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 [thing] to go block them.”
Henderson’s impact
Henderson totaled 911 yards on 180 carries (5.1 yards per carry) in the 2025 regular season, with nine touchdowns. He became the first player in team history to have four 50-yard runs or rushing touchdowns in a single season, while adding nine receptions for 35 yards and one touchdown.
Henderson has missed three consecutive practices, though it seems likely he plays in Seattle. Hassan Haskins and Corey Kiner appear to be next on the list, while Lan Larison wore a scout team jersey today, according to Andrew Callahan of NBC.
