There was no running back who put the ball on the ground more often than Rhamondre Stevenson of the Patriots in 2024, with seven fumbles. And after a stellar performance in the Week 2 win over the Dolphins, the old Stevenson curse reared its head again on Sunday in Week 3, as he fumbled twice, including once while going in for what should have been a touchdown in a 21-14 loss.
After the game, Stevenson admitted what many Patriots fans were feeling. It might be time to cut ties with Stevenson and reconfigure the running-back room. “If I can’t hang onto the ball,” a distraught Stevenson said, “then they don’t need me.”
For executive Scott Pioli, who has three decades in NFL personnel jobs and was with the Patriots as a personnel man from 2000-08, Stevenson should be on the chopping block … eventually.
“Ball security is job security. So if you’re gonna turn the ball over, you ain’t gonna be around very long,” Pioli said on NBC Sports Boston on Monday.
Rhamondre Stevenson Has Some Job Security
Stevenson is likely to get another chance before he is let go, however. He has 87 yards rushing on 22 attempts, for a respectable 4.0 yards per carry, and he is a very good receiver out of the backfield, with 138 yards and 10 catches. The Patriots can try to make adjustments on him before whacking him altogether.
The Patriots have rookie TreVeyon Henderson behind Stevenson, and Antonio Gibson—who also had a fumble. There is not a ton of depth there.
His contract is an issue, too. The Patriots would absorb about a $12 million dead-cap hit to let Stevenson go.
Patriots Must Determine Whether They Trust Rhamondre Stevenson
But Stevenson is out of strikes. No matter the contract, the Patriots can’t have him on the field if they do not trust him to hold onto the ball.
“You’re either going to learn how to hold onto the football, or someone else is going to have it, or you’re going to be somewhere else,” Pioli said.
“That was the rule: ‘We’ll get it fixed. If we don’t, we’ll find someone else to do your job. I ain’t mad at you. We’ll just find someone to do your job.’”
Patriots Could Add Another Back
For now, perhaps the answer on Stevenson will be a benching. Perhaps the Patriots will bring in another veteran back for the practice squad, like Zack Moss or Jamaal Williams, to have a replacement ready for Stevenson. The Patriots have Terrell Jennings on the practice squad for the second year—the fact that the team kept him is an indication that Mike Vrabel likes him.
Before we see someone else, though, we’re probably going to see more Stevenson.
“It’s Game 3, and you are only going to get so many chances,” said Pioli. “To me, Rhamondre Stevenson is a terrific back. But if he’s not going to hold onto the ball … (the Patriots will say), ‘We’re going to give someone else a chance.’”