Former Patriots RB urges fans not to panic about TreVeyon Henderson

New England Patriots

“I don’t think it’s necessarily a trust issue.”

By Conor Roche

October 25, 2025 | 4:25 PM

2 minutes to read

After dazzling in training camp and the preseason, TreVeyon Henderson hasn’t lived up to expectations so far in his rookie season as his playing time has fluctuated. However, James White is urging Patriots fans not to fret yet about the second-round rookie.

The former Patriots running back said that Henderson’s relative lack of playing time in his rookie season shouldn’t be a cause for concern.

“As we all know with [offensive coordinator] Josh [McDaniels], our game plan was always kind of a week-to-week thing,” White told NBC Sports Boston’s Phil Perry on the “Next Pats” podcast. “So, he may not have played that much this past week. Maybe next week he gets a ton of snaps. It just all depends how they want to attack the defense they’re going up against.

“I don’t think it’s necessarily a trust issue. I think it’s just a game plan thing, and eventually his time will come, whether it’s this year, whether it’s next year, whatever it may be.”

White, who had McDaniels as an offensive coordinator for the entirety of his eight-year career, had some similar struggles as Henderson in terms of playing time during his rookie season. He only logged 14 total touches over three games.

But White was a fourth-round pick and was playing behind the likes of LeGarrette Blount, Shane Vereen, and others on a team that wound up winning a Super Bowl. Henderson, meanwhile, only had two carries and played just nine offensive snaps in the Patriots’ Week 7 win over the Titans despite the team having depth issues at running back.

McDaniels said that Henderson’s lack of touches against the Titans was “circumstantial,” pointing to the fact that the rookie has led the Patriots in carries in other games this season. Henderson’s also played 34.1 percent of the Patriots’ offensive snaps in 2025, so it isn’t like he’s being completely shut out, either.

Still, Henderson’s drop in playing time in Week 7 came as he’s struggled to make an impact this season. He’s only rushed for 153 yards on 3.6 yards per carry and a touchdown to go with 16 receptions for 99 yards.

What might be the most concerning thing about Henderson’s rookie season, though, is his ineffectiveness as a pass blocker. Pro Football Focus has graded him the second-worst running back at blocking this season, which is a bit of a surprise considering he was lauded for his blocking ability ahead of the NFL Draft.

Henderson acknowledged his struggles this week and told Perry that he was “understanding” of why he didn’t get a ton of playing time against the Titans.

“When it comes to this [Titans] game, Rhamondre [Stevenson] had the hot hand, so why stop him? Keep feeding him and let him keep going,” Henderson told Perry. “I’m happy for the way that he played, and whatever comes my way, I’m just grateful and I just try my best to take advantage of it.”

Adding to the concerns surrounding Henderson, a couple of the non-first-round running backs (Quinshon Judkins, Cam Skattebo) have flourished as rookies this season. But White doesn’t want to compare Henderson to the others and thinks the Patriots running back will shine when the time comes.

“I think he’s extremely talented,” White said. “He’s going to be a great football player for the organization, whether it’s this year, whenever his time comes. I just think everybody’s had lofty expectations based on where he was drafted and what we saw on tape. But it will happen at some point.”