UPDATE: Henderson was officially ruled OUT
Patriots running back TreVeyon Henderson left Sunday's game against the Raiders with a right ankle injury and has been listed as questionable to return. The Patriots have not yet announced a diagnosis. New England led 14-7 in the second quarter when he went to the sideline, and it is the same ankle that has dogged him since training camp.
Henderson suffered a lower right ankle injury on August 24 after slipping on the turf in practice. A league source told the Boston Globe at the time that he had avoided a serious injury, but he did not practice again for about two weeks, and the Patriots ruled him out of the opener against the Seahawks on September 9, his first missed NFL game after playing all 17 regular-season games and four playoff games as a rookie. A reaggravation of an ankle that has already cost him time is a concern, since incompletely healed ligaments tend to turn minor tweaks into recurring sprains, especially for a back who relies on cuts and hurdles.
His lower-body history goes back to Ohio State. He fractured his left foot and tore a ligament in 2022 after hurting it against Toledo on September 17, played through it, and had surgery in December, missing five games. In 2023, ankle and knee issues limited him, and he missed three games with an undisclosed injury suffered against Notre Dame. New England has handled a questionable tag with him before: last December, the Patriots listed him as questionable to return after a head injury against the Ravens, then downgraded him to out coming out of halftime, which is a reason to treat this designation cautiously.
With Henderson out for now, expect Rhamondre Stevenson to handle the bulk of the carries, with Corey Kiner in the mix. The Patriots host the Jets next Sunday and then play on a short week at Chicago on Thursday, October 22, so the timeline matters. The key signals are whether he returns to the game, how the team describes the injury afterward, and whether he practices this week.
