There hasn’t been much to get excited about in TreVeyon Henderson’s NFL career to this point, but the New England Patriots running back might be getting his shot sooner than later.
Henderson, who announced his presence with authority in the preseason by returning his first career touch for a touchdown. He looked good in limited action otherwise in the preseason, but despite the excitement, the second-round pick hasn’t gotten much in the way of touches.
That, however, could change with an injury to veteran running back Antonio Gibson paired with continued fumbling issues for lead back Rhamondre Stevenson.
Patriots’ TreVeyon Henderson Might Get Bigger Workload
Henderson, the No. 38 overall pick out of Ohio State, had been seldomly used in Josh McDaniels’ offense through the first four weeks of the season. Despite obvious burst — he ran a 4.33-second 40-yard dash at the combine — he took just 26 handoffs through the first quarter of the season. He is, however, at least becoming someone Drake Maye trusts as a safety valve when he’s on the field. Henderson has at least two catches in each of his four games, catching all 13 of his targets to this point.
The Gibson injury might ultimately force the Patriots to play Henderson more. It didn’t look good for the veteran back, who struggled to put weight on the knee and was in tears after a quick trip to the medical tent. Assuming the worst, or even an extended absence, Henderson moves up the depth chart with no one else behind him.
Whether he can cut into Stevenson’s workload will be the big question. Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel has made it clear he still thinks Stevenson is an important cog in the machine, but his patience might be tested by yet another fumble in Week 5 against Buffalo.
Henderson Could Be Major Fantasy Waiver-Wire Pickup
Even before the “Sunday Night Football” developments in Buffalo, it appeared Henderson was starting to get some more opportunities.
“Entering Week 5, Henderson has received nearly 25% of the total share alongside the likes of Stevenson and Antonio Gibson, who has earned additional touches with efficient play over the past several weeks,” Ethen Hutton wrote for SI.com. “Henderson has also seen the majority of the volume in the pass game among New Englandâs backfield.”
He added: “Recent trends project Henderson to continue expanding his role in the backfield, potentially making way for greater volume for the Ohio State rookie to build on.”
Some aren’t as optimistic, and weren’t necessarily convinced anything that happened during the Patriots-Bills game would change the outlook for Henderson moving forward.
The Patriots didn’t show any signs of a major shakeup after Gibson went down and following another Stevenson fumble. In fact, Stevenson scored a key touchdown midway through the third quarter, showing New England’s willingness to give him the ball near the goal line.
Chances are, those most annoyed by Henderson’s usage are those fantasy football owners who currently have the ex-Buckeye eating up a roster spot.
“Until he’s the clear-cut No. 1 running back on a weekly basis, Henderson deserves to be benched in fantasy football,” Rotoballer’s Andersen Pickard wrote before the Week 5 game. “From a waiver wire perspective, though, he’s an interesting candidate to be added in leagues with at least 12 teams, especially since he could blossom into New England’s lead back by midseason. He’s a top waiver wire target for Week 5.”
Given all that went down, and despite the lack of production, he might be an even more attractive wire option going into Week 6.
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