Mike Vrabel clarifies TreVeyon Henderson’s status ahead of Patriots’ Week 1 game vs Seahawks

The New England Patriots are preparing their Super Bowl rematch game against the Seattle Seahawks. However, it seems like TreVeyon Henderson‘s status might be in question as the running back hasn’t been training, but head coach Mike Vrabel is bringing clarity into it.

Per Mike Reiss of ESPN, Vrabel said the Patriots will “see how he feels today. We’ll see if he can do anything. He’s working extremely hard to come back… We do have a few more days before, but we’ll just see what he’s able to do today,” when asked about the status of TreVeyon Henderson. However, he wasn’t seen practicing, which is concerning.

Henderson missing Monday’s practice is a bad sign for his availability for the season opener against the Seahawks, given that it’s on Wednesday. It will remain to be seen if Henderson is able to get on track.

Henderson’s offseason was disappointing

It was pretty much a given that Henderson would step into the RB1 role once he got opportunities. However, between the missed time and reports stating that he is not convincing the coaching staff, it seems he will still be relegated to a backup role after failing to capture the starting slot.

Henderson’s primary weaknesses center around poor NFL pass protection, inconsistent vision behind the line of scrimmage, limited route-running nuance, and durability concerns. He had a great rookie season, but his lack of improvement will cost him.

See also

Patriots reportedly have RB depth chart plan if TreVeyon Henderson doesn’t play vs Seahawks

Henderson’s strengths are still very enticing

Henderson bursts through small creases at the line of scrimmage and reaches top speed very quickly, turning standard runs into long gains. He has blazing speed and home-run potential. Hence, he could still be protective. However, they don’t outweigh Henderson’s weaknesses.