The New England Patriots threw Drake Maye into the fire in Week 6 despite being without one of the team’s top offensive weapons, Rhamondre Stevenson.
The fourth-year back suffered a foot injury during New England’s 15-10 loss to the Miami Dolphins in Week 5.
It kept him out of action against the Houston Texans, but the Patriots are hopeful that his absence won’t be long-term.
Will Stevenson be able to return after missing just one game? Here’s what the Patriots are saying about their top running back’s injury ahead of their Week 7 London game against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
When will Rhamondre Stevenson return?
Stevenson did not practice ahead of his Week 6 absence, but Patriots coach Jerod Mayo said the running back’s injury was not considered a long-term issue. New England didn’t place Stevenson on IR, indicating that he should be able to return without missing more than three games for the team.
The Patriots didn’t provide a definitive update about Stevenson ahead of Week 7. He was a non-participant at Wednesday and Thursday’s practice, however, which is not a great sign for his availability against the Jaguars.
Will Rhamondre Stevenson play Week 7?
Stevenson was absent from the media portion of practice both Wednesday and Thursday ahead of New England’s battle with Jacksonville in London. It would be hard to imagine him playing in Week 7 if he can’t get back on the field Friday, which will mark the first day that the Patriots practice in London.
The Patriots may make Stevenson’s status known sooner than that. They are flying to London on Thursday, Oct. 17; if they leave Stevenson behind, that will be a sign that the running back won’t be back for Week 7 and will have to shift his focus toward a Week 8 return against the New York Jets.
Either way, it seems like Stevenson is trending in the wrong direction for Sunday’s game.
Patriots RB depth chart
The Patriots have just two running backs on their 53-man roster behind Stevenson. They are as follows:
- Antonio Gibson
- JaMychal Hasty
If Stevenson can’t play, Gibson would likely handle most of the Patriots’ workload. He led the team with 13 carries and four catches against the Texans but generated just 43 combined yards. The converted college wide receiver would likely fare better against a Jaguars defense that has struggled to contain opposing offenses, especially through the air.
Hasty may serve as the primary backup to Gibson, but the Patriots could also call up Terrell Jennings or Kevin Harris from their practice squad for that role. Jennings had one more touch than Hasty against Houston, so it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him called up again.
Either way, Gibson would handle almost all of New England’s running back touches if Stevenson is out. That could make him a volume-based RB2 in a good matchup.
