The Patriots are preparing for their home opener vs. the Steelers at Gillette Stadium on Sunday, and reinforcements are on the way for New England's offense.
After missing a Week 1 loss to the Seahawks, second-year RB TreVeyon Henderson (ankle) is off the injury report and is expected to play in Week 2. Henderson suffered his ankle injury during a training camp practice on Aug. 24. The 38th overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft returned to practice on Monday, participating in a full capacity throughout the week. Although they're expecting their explosive running back to return, the Patriots ruled out OT Dametrious Crownover (knee) while CB Carlton Davis III (neck), OLB Dre'Mont Jones (foot), and C/G Ben Brown (knee) are questionable for Sunday's game.
Henderson had a productive rookie season, ranking fifth among qualified running backs in yards per rush (5.1) in 2025 while producing 11 runs of 15-plus yards. The Pats big-play back led the team in scrimmage yards (1,132) and total touchdowns (10) last season, which led to him being a finalist for AP Offensive Rookie of the Year. Henderson topped out at over 20 miles per hour on four runs last season, according to NextGen Stats, the eighth-most in the NFL, speaking to the dynamic play speed he brings to the offense.
Last week, the Patriots leaned heavily on RB Rhamondre Stevenson, who played 60-of-71 offensive snaps (84.5%). Henderson is a threat to hit an explosive play every time he touches the ball while he can also take some of the workload off Stevenson in the Pats backfield. With defenses playing lighter boxes with two-high safeties to take away QB Drake Maye's deep ball, Henderson averaged 4.7 yards per rush with 12 explosive runs against light (six or fewer defenders) or neutral (seven defenders) boxes as a rookie. New England would benefit from a productive rushing attack, which should get a boost from Henderson's return.
Moving over to the defense, CB Carlton Davis III (neck) popped up on the injury report coming off the Seattle game. The veteran cornerback sat out all three practices practice this week after missing a few snaps in the first quarter when he got banged up making a tackle in Week 1, which could be where his neck injury stems from. Davis is one-third of the Patriots shutdown cornerback trio as the starting outside corner opposite All-Pro CB Christian Gonzalez. The 29-year-old Davis tends to take some veteran rest days during the season, so he could be managing the injury with a lighter practice load, but he's officially questionable.
As for Jones, the Patriots big free-agent addition had a team-high six total pressures (sack, three QB hits, two hurries) while playing 84.5% of the snaps in Week 1. Jones sat out Wednesday's session with his foot injury and then returned in a limited capacity for the final two practices this week. Hopefully, Jones increasing his practice participation as the week wore on is a good sign. He is a key piece in New England's edge-rushing rotation with starter Elijah Ponder and rookie Gabe Jacas. Seventh-rounder Quintayvious Hutchins would likely be the next man up to provide depth at edge rusher if Jones isn't able to play or is limited.
If Davis can't play on Sunday, the expectation is that top backup Charles Woods will play a larger role. The Patriots could have NCB Marcus Jones play in base or two-corner packages alongside Gonzalez while Woods comes on the field as the third corner. However, Jones matching Pittsburgh's massive receivers, DK Metcalf (6-3, 228) and Michael Pittman Jr. (6-4, 223), would be a mild concern. Jones, a terrific slot corner who plays bigger than his 5-foot-8 frame, might be at a size disadvantage on the outside. The Patriots could keep Jones in the slot with Woods as the second outside corner. The other option is to elevate CB Kindle Vildor from the practice squad or have rookie Karon Prunty active for the game.
That said, Pittman (foot, questionable) also popped up on the Steelers injury report this week. On Wednesday, Pittman was limited in practice before being a non-participant the rest of the week. Pittman's availability being in doubt could cancel out Davis's potential absence. If Pittman is unavailable, wideouts Ben Skowronek and rookie Germie Bernard could be Pittsburgh's third receiver alongside Metcalf and slot receiver Roman Wilson. How the Patriots match the Steelers bigger skill players, with tight ends Pat Freiermuth and Darnell Washington also a major part of their offense, will be an interesting chess match on Sunday.
The other big injury for Pittsburgh is star CB Joey Porter Jr. (back) is out. Porter Jr. missed the Steelers opener vs. the Falcons due to his back injury while rumors swirl in the media about Porter's contract situation. The Steelers top corner was in the same draft class as Gonzalez (2023), so he's eligible for a rookie extension the same way Gonzalez was heading into his fourth season. The Patriots and Gonzalez agreed to a massive contract extension before Week 1, but Porter still doesn't have a new deal.
The next step for the Patriots will be practice squad elevations by Saturday at 4 p.m. ET. New England will use one standard elevation on P Mitch Wishnowsky. With Henderson trending in the right direction, it's unclear who the second elevation will be after the Patriots elevated RB Lan Larison to the game-day roster in Week 1. With three healthy backs on the roster, the Pats could elevate vested veteran CB Kindle Vildor, who could provide an extra layer of depth at cornerback with Davis uncertain to play.
The Patriots will host the Steelers in Sunday's home opener at Gillette Stadium at 1 p.m. ET.
DISCLAIMER: The views and thoughts expressed in this article are those of the writer and don't necessarily reflect those of the organization. Read Full Disclaimer
